Yuuka: Reborn
by Kisakaze
Summary: The Sakamaki children always wondered why their father appeared to be missing, and why the huge responsibility of taking care of six children lay on single mother Yuuka's shoulders. They unravel the mystery behind their mother's past, their father's identity, and who they really are...
1. Daily Lives

The small house was quiet. It was five in the afternoon, the regular "morning" for the little family.

The house was one floor with an attic, which were, in fact, the six boys' bedroom. Downstairs was the largest room. A small part of the room was the kitchen, and the dining table fit for eight. A large brown bookshelf was located near the stairs to the attic. There was a small fireplace on one side of the room, accompanied with a white couch, a matching armchair, and a wool rug.

There was only one other room; a very tiny bedroom connected to the main room by a short hallway, plus the one bathroom in the house.

The Sakamaki children spent their days here.

Shuu was the oldest child, age ten. Following up, Reiji was nine. Ayato, Kanato, and Laito are eight, and the youngest is Subaru, age seven.

The six shared three beds in the attic, but often, only one child occupied the third bed. This was because Kanato, being the most clingy to his mother, would go downstairs and spend the night sleeping with her. Their mother always allowed any of them to go in her room, and this was usually all of them during stormy nights. Subaru was regularly offered this, since he was the youngest, but the tsundere nature in him would emerge and he'd refuse whilst blushing.

The single mother who took care of all six boys was a twenty-seven year old girl named Yuuka. She has shoulder-length, wavy hair that appeared to be ombre; the roots of her hair were white, and blended to blonde, red, and purple. Her hair was often tied carelessly in a ponytail, for work purposes. Yuuka had bright, reddish pink eyes, and looked incredibly young, often being mistaken as still a teenager. The oddest thing was that the Sakamaki children were all vampires, but Yuuka was a human.

* * *

Yuuka pushed the hinged trapdoor-like hatch open, peeking into the dark room.

"Morning…" She whispered softly, smiling as her boys lifted their heads, stretching and yawning.

Due to the children's massive amount of energy, they were up in an instant, hurrying out of their beds and changing out of their pajamas.

The boys skipped past Yuuka with bright smiles, heading down the ladder as they greeted her cheerfully with 'good mornings.'

As Yuuka looked back over the boys' bedroom, which she knew she and Reiji would have to make their beds after breakfast, she saw the lump under a blanket on one of the beds.

Yuuka felt someone clutch the edges of her shirt, and she turned to see Kanato, still clinging tightly to her. She giggled, running her hand through Kanato's poofy, purple hair as she walked over to the bed.

Yuuka pulled off the blanket, not surprised to see Shuu still there.

The ten year old was much more mature than his age, but his laziness was a definitive flaw. However, Yuuka saw it as endearing.

Shuu wore black earphones almost all the time. They were a gift from Yuuka two years ago, and Shuu kept them in extraordinary condition. They still looked remarkably new. Earphones were expensive in their time, and it had been difficult for Yuuka to purchase them. Shuu kept that in mind, treasuring them.

"Shuu~ It's morning." Yuuka said, gently prodding her finger against Shuu's cheek.

Shuu opened one eye, sitting up slowly and yawning. Yuuka ruffled his hair, placing a kiss on Shuu's forehead. Shuu disliked being awoken, but the sight of his mom slightly cheered him up. He reluctantly got off the bed and headed downstairs.

Kanato frowned at the attention Yuuka paid to Shuu, pulling on her shirt again. "Mother…" He whined. Yuuka looked down at the pouting purplette.

"Goodness." Yuuka chuckled. "Do you want to be picked up or something?"

Kanato blinked, blushing profusely. Although he preferred to be spoiled by Yuuka, he too disliked the thought of acting like a baby. He shook his head, and Yuuka simply took his hand, leading him downstairs.

Kanato sat down at the dining table, watching as Yuuka went in the kitchen to prepare the six boys their breakfast. He enjoyed watching her cook; she was efficient at it, and it was quite entertaining when she cracked eggs into a pan skillfully.

Even though vampires only need blood to survive, bloodlust doesn't arrive until normally age sixteen, so the Sakamakis still experience hunger for human and solid food.

Soon, Kanato was joined by his brothers at the table. The table was arise with cheerful conversations, whether it was about their night school, friends, teachers, and work.

"How are your grades in the classes anyway?" Reiji asked. The responsible nine-year-old seemed to take charge when it came to grades, since Yuuka didn't think much of it.

Reiji glanced over his shoulder at his mother.

Perhaps his younger brothers didn't notice it as much, but he knew that Shuu and maybe even Subaru did: how tirelessly their mother worked. Around two a.m., which was afternoon for the family and when the boys got off school, Yuuka would travel to town to work for eight hours, returning home when the boys are asleep, and probably have to stay up at home for another two hours before going to bed. And yet, she had to wake up at five p.m. again to make breakfast for them, and the day repeats.

Yuuka didn't have time to pester the boys about their grades. She had told them before that it was their decision how they did in school, and she trusted them and allowed them to do however they'd like in school, but Reiji wanted to make sure his brothers did well and surprise Yuuka anyway.

"Ayato got a D on the English test…!" Laito blurted out, causing Ayato to jump and slap his hand over Laito's mouth.

"U-Urusai! I-I didn't…" Ayato stammered.

Reiji glared at him, glancing over his shoulder again at Yuuka. Lucky for him, she hadn't heard. She was busy flipping omelettes.

Reiji sighed. "You're hopeless. You have to do better in school, dimwit." Reiji shook his head.

"Oi! Who you calling a dimwit?!"

Shuu sighed, clicking a volume button on his music. "You're too noisy." He grumbled.

"What are you all chatting about so lively?" Yuuka said suddenly, as she placed the plates of omelettes down for the boys.

It was interesting how she paid attention to each of her sons' personal tastes. For example, she added pizza sauce to Kanato's omelette to make it sweeter, but still kept the nature of an omelette **(haha, Charlotte reference)** , and made Ayato's omelette resemble takoyaki, with ingredients and everything.

As Yuuka took her seat beside Subaru and Reiji, Reiji lead the usual and very brief polite procedures before a meal, and the family began to eat.

"Were you talking about school, Reiji?" Yuuka brought up.

The nine-year-old flushed. "Um, yes… We were discussing grades." Reiji fumbled with his fork, "I was just making sure everyone was doing well, that's all."

Shuu tilted his head, and Ayato couldn't help but hang his head slightly in shame. Yuuka didn't seem to notice. She smiled brightly anyway, patting Reiji's head.

"Jeez, you're so responsible. It's wonderful, but…" She squeezed Reiji's cheeks, "remember to still enjoy yourself in school, okay?"

Reiji smiled in response, still saddened at the fact that his mom seemed to care for his and his brothers' happiness more than anything else.

* * *

After breakfast, there were still a few hours before the brothers had to get ready for night school, so this is the time where they'd play.

In the backyard, Ayato, Laito, and Subaru chased each other, playing tag and messing around in the dirt with sticks and rocks.

Inside the house, Yuuka lit the fireplace, illuminating the room with a comforting light. Shuu lay in the armchair, relaxed as he listened to Mozart and the crackles from the fire. Yuuka sat on the couch, with Kanato in her lap, and Reiji sitting beside her. Yuuka combed her fingers through Kanato's hair, like a light head massage, and Reiji read a small book.

"Mom!" A voice from the backyard called. Yuuka blinked. She lifted Kanato off her lap and placed him on the seat of the couch, kissing his cheek softly, and she hurried outside.

" _I should really get him a toy or a stuffed animal- I'm afraid he gets lonely when I leave or something…"_ Yuuka pondered as she stepped outside. She froze when she saw Subaru's face and clothes smeared with dirt, grass in Laito's hair, and Ayato holding a bundle of rocks. The trio noticed their mom and stilled as well.

Yuuka could barely stifle the laughter in her. "My, what have we got here?" She joked. Ayato dropped the rocks on the floor and Subaru grumbled.

Yuuka turned and gestured inside. "We better get you three in the bath- and try not to get the house dirty when you walk in the bathroom, alright?" Yuuka instructed. The three boys nodded, following their mother carefully back in the house.

Kanato watched them come in in curiosity, and was amused at their dirty and silly appearances. Shuu opened one eye again, and shook his head.


	2. Ryuunosuke

The moon rose slowly into the sky. After his, Ayato's, and Laito's bath, Yuuka knelt down and buttoned up Subaru's school uniform.

The local elementary school, which the boys took a bus to, was in town, but wasn't really in the central area.

The uniforms there had a palette of a maroon-ish purple, black, red, and white. At night, the area generally had colder temperatures, so the boys were dressed in school jackets or cardigans.

Yuuka smoothed out Subaru's jacket. Her fingers brushed against the school logo. She stared at it for a moment, a strange, nostalgic feeling spreading through her.

"Mom?"

Yuuka looked up at Subaru, who stared at her quizzically.

"Ah, I'm sorry." Yuuka stood up, looking around for everyone else. "The bus should be here in a minute."

Subaru watched his mom and she walked out to fetch his brothers. It had always bothered him, the way she was so mysterious sometimes. He really wasn't sure what made him think that, but it was… unsettling.

Subaru sighed, shaking his head as he followed his mom.

"Ayato, you need to tie the tie properly…" Yuuka giggled. Her son's red tie was a strange knot; the sides were uneven and misfit.

Reiji sighed. "I swear they taught how to tie it at the opening ceremony." He muttered under his breath.

As Yuuka quickly fussed with the incredibly tight knot Ayato somehow managed to create out of the tie, the bus arrived at the stop.

The brothers grabbed their school bags, waving to Yuuka as they opened the gate of the background and rushed down the sidewalk to the stop.

Finally, when Yuuka managed to fix the knot, Ayato grabbed his bag, and looked at Kanato, who still stood beside Yuuka.

"Kanato, I'll be late if you don't hurry up." Ayato says in an irritated tone, but he grinned cheekily at his brother.

Kanato, who had been hesitant to go to school at the beginning of the year, used to refuse to leave his mother. However, lately he's been enjoying attending classes and making friends. The purplette looked at Ayato, glanced briefly at Yuuka, and back at Ayato. He then hugged Yuuka quickly, and he dashed after his brother. The two raced to catch up with their brothers and boarded the bus.

Yuuka smiled, waving as the bus passed, and until it left her sight. Then she breathed a sigh.

* * *

She decided to go to「 隆之介, Ryuunosuke」 town early today, since she knew if she worked earlier shifts, she could return home earlier as well. Well, at least, it was allowed twice a week. Yuuka shut the gate of the backyard, strolling back into the house to get ready for work.

There was one rule, the only rule Yuuka placed on the boys; that they never travel to the part of town where she went for work. Of course, the boys complied obediently, as it was the only rule Yuuka requested, but they always questioned it in their minds. What was so bad about that part of the town, and if it was not exactly a good place, why did Yuuka work there?

The only logical explanation was that Yuuka worked there because it was a fitting and helpful job, despite how "bad" that part of town was, but it was only a theory.

Yuuka locked the door to the house, and began the mile walk to the municipality.

The part of town the brothers were told to avoid was almost the entirety of it. It was a very interesting suburb. It was quite huge to be considered a town, but it wasn't exactly a city, either. A large forest surrounded the east of it, which was dangerous and full of wolves. Most of the north of the town was dedicated to the homes of the aristocrats; tall, towering mansions and glittering homes made up the area, and it was guarded heavily.

Yuuka worked as an assistant to a blacksmith, who, in spite of most of the town's people, was kind. Over the years, Yuuka grew used to the town's harshness, and the treatment of each social class. With enough money to at least feed herself and her sons, she was considered to be very average in financial situations.

Yuuka reached the large gates of Ryuunosuke, and her pace immensely increased.

The town in itself was dangerous, but there were so many people who lived on the streets. The most heart-breaking part was that most were children. Of course, there were gangs and thieves, so she never brought a bag or any items that could easily be stolen from her.

As that thought crossed Yuuka's mind, she furrowed her eyebrows; a task she had she had assigned herself to a long time ago, which she had forgotten, came to her just now. Yuuka bit her lip.

She must think about that later.

Yuuka began to run when she saw a child being kicked and forced into the fountain, clenching her fists as she reasoned to herself that there was nothing she could do and she couldn't save everyone.

Finally, she reached the door to Ami's Blacksmith. Yuuka knocked, and a woman with tumbling black curls answered with a smile.

"Yuuka-san, you're early today." The woman praised as she let Yuuka in. The woman's smile faltered slightly. "You're alright, are you? Nothing dangerous happened on your way here?"

Yuuka shook her head, "Thank you Ami, but I'm fine. I'm at least able to protect myself." She replied, placing her jacket on a chair.

Ami sighed in relief. "That's good, but," Ami walked over to the counter near the forge, "it worries me everytime. You're a very independent and strong girl, but it's so remotely dangerous."

Ami picked up the hammer. It appeared she had been working on a pickaxe a few moments before Yuuka had arrived. "It disgusts me that I even have to warn you of just travelling here." Ami mutters, "How this very town that I live in proceeds to disappoint me daily."

Yuuka smiled weakly, "It can't be helped, right? We make a living in this town." She murmured sadly.

Ami studied the hammer in her hand. "That doesn't mean I have to like this town."

"The actual question is that are there better towns out there than this one?"

Ami ran her hand through her hair. "I know, I know. I've done research too, and well…" The skin of her lip tore slightly as she chewed on it. "I'm aware that there aren't other places in this world that are much better than Ryuunosuke."

Yuuka shrugged. "If you're able to find happiness in this world, it's all that matters." Yuuka responds, sitting down on the stool as she set up her work area.

Ami stuck out her tongue. "You're so naive." She teased.

Yuuka couldn't help but smile. "I've always been called that. Since I was young."

* * *

"Laito-kun~"

Laito looked up at the girl standing by his desk. She had her hair in pigtails and a prestigious aura to her, and maybe was even older than him slightly.

Laito smiled politely. "Ah, hi!" He greeted awkwardly, wondering why she had approached him.

The girl twirled a strand in her fingers, then poked Laito's cheek. "You're quite cute. I'm the daughter of an aristocrat, and it'd be cool if we hung out sometime." The girl bragged.

Laito blinked. "An aristocrat?" He repeated.

The girl mistook this as disbelief, when really, Laito didn't even know what an aristocrat was. "Yep. Surprised, right? A rare opportunity offered to you and you only~" The girl stretched her tone sweetly.

But less than a second later, Shuu and Reiji were standing next to Laito. "Sorry, he's gonna turn down your offer." Shuu said.

The girl took a step back, shocked that they were there so quickly, and since Shuu and Reiji were popular upperclassmen, she was a bit intimidated.

"A- Huh?" The girl clapped together her hands, "Shuu-sama and Reiji-sa-"

"We no longer appreciate your presence. If you would excuse yourself and quit being so rude here." Reiji said coldly, folding his arms.

The girl shrank, turning and leaving the classroom.

Laito turned to his brothers. "When did you guys get here? Aren't your classrooms a hallway away?" He asked curiously. He always wondered why his brothers seemingly scared the girl away.

Shuu sighed, muttering under his breath that explaining was bothersome. "Since I was finished with lunch, Reiji came in and suggested we go around and check on you guys."

Reiji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and we so happened to walk in on our little brother being harassed." He states sternly.

Laito tilted his head, "She was harassing me? But she didn't really do anythi-"

"Laito, you're too oblivious to evil intentions."

Laito furrowed his eyebrows, thoroughly confused. Shuu shook his head.

"It's okay. Just come to us if this ever happens again." He commands. Laito nods slowly, but it confused him why his older brothers had knowledge of this and he didn't.

Reiji exhales heavily, and he looked around the unfamiliar classroom he was in; it wasn't much different from his, except, of course, the different posters, position of things, and the level the books were at.

His eyes landed on the board, where the teacher appeared to have left writings of assignments.

Reiji squinted, confused as to why he couldn't see it very clearly. A feeling of panic shot through him when he realized that his vision had gotten worse.

This only worried him more when he knew that Yuuka could not possibly afford prescription glasses for him.

* * *

The shift was over.

"Ami, I'm gonna head back now." Yuuka said, slipping into her jacket. As she cleaned up the last of her work, Ami came up and slapped a bundle on the table in front of Yuuka.

Yuuka jumped in surprise.

"E-Eh? What's this-" Her eyes dropped down at what Ami had slapped in front of her, and her eyes widened.

Ami grinned. "It's for you, of course." She said cheerfully.

Yuuka waved her hands frantically. "W-What..?! It's not even the end of the week, and that's way more than I earn normally…" She pointed at the bundle, which was, in fact, a complete stack of cash.

Ami beamed. "You've worked so hard for me all these years, obviously, you deserve a promotion of sorts! Besides, the company's boosted so much in sales lately, thanks to you, so this is your normal salary from now on." Ami explained.

Yuuka shook her head. "I can't possibly take that much! Er- how much is in that bundle anyway…?!"

Ami waved it in her face. "Only 'bout 6k yen **(That's about 50 in US dollars)**." She giggled. Yuuka's jaw dropped.

"6k?!" Yuuka gasped.

Ami smiled again. "And you have no choice but to take it!" Ami shoved the stack into Yuuka's hands. "Now be safe on your way home!"

Ami left so abruptly that Yuuka couldn't even protest anymore. She sighed.

"Well, I guess…" Yuuka couldn't help but smile, "It's way more than I need, but now, I can purchase gifts for the boys."

Yuuka left the shop, making sure to lock it as she left. Although she was still alert, her thoughts ran rapid of the things she could buy for her sons.

 _A toy for Kanato…_

 _More books for Reiji…_

 _New clothes for them…_

 _And still so much left to either use or save..._

She mused over these thoughts with a smile, when she passed by a shop she knew was an orphanage. Well, she knew for a fact that "orphanages" were basically prisons for children, and that they weren't treated at all like humans.

Yuuka continued her pace, when she noticed large splotches of a maroon substance splattered over the floor. She then heard distant cries of pain.

And Yuuka remembered her task.

Suddenly, a loud yell sounded, along with a loud _crack._ Yuuka stopped, terrified for a moment, and contemplated whether she should run. But she saw a man hovering over four boys, who all looked injured and badly beaten. The man appeared to be shouting angrily at them. Yuuka's eyes widened when she realized the man was holding a gun and a whip.

Yuuka could see the four boys clearly now, and she knew exactly what she had to do.

Yuuka's protective nature took over instantly, and the flames in her were fanned when the man raised the whip.

"Stop!" Yuuka found herself yelling, stepping closer to them. The man froze, turning to the direction of Yuuka. He furrowed his eyebrows, his mouth curling in an ugly way.

"What the hell do you want, bitch? Don't get in the way!" He snarled, waving the whip. His immediate vulgar language made Yuuka feel bitterly disgusted. Yuuka noticed how the boys flinched as he waved the whip.

Yuuka stood her ground. "This is an orphanage, right?" She asked boldly.

The man hissed, spitting on the ground. "Yeah, so?!" He spat, almost challenging Yuuka.

Yuuka folded her arms. "I'll buy them from you. All four." She declared.

The man paused, and he sneered. "Haah?! Are you _stupid_? Are you aware of how much they damn cost?! Ironic cuz they're filthy and worthless!"

Yuuka had already thought of a convincing plan. She had the money, now all she to do was make him give it up.

She laughed. "I'm an aristocrat. Don't know what the hell you mean by I can't afford them. Unless you want to speak to some certain superiors that I'm acquainted with." Yuuka lied. "I don't think they would be very happy with how you're treating me."

The man froze completely. "Y-You're an aristocrat?!" He said in shock.

Yuuka snorts. "That's what I just said," She continued with the same smooth, snooty attitude. She pulled out a fourth of the money she received from Ami today. "This is well enough to buy all four of 'em, dumbass."

The man practically gaped at the money. "Alright, take them! I don't care!" He said. The man glared daggers at the four boys. "You better follow her or I'll find y'all and shoot you again!" He snarled once more, as Yuuka threw the money at him.

 _Shoot them again?!_

 _Have they already been shot?!_

The man hurriedly picked up the money from the floor and fled.

Yuuka sighed. "Need to wash my own mouth with soap later." The four boys looked at her with a mixture of confusion, intimidation, and fear. She walks over to them. "Follow me to a safer spot." Yuuka commands.

One of the boys, the one with brown hair and light tips, pointed at another boy with messy, greenish black hair. "He's, Azusa's… Azusa can't walk, he's too.. Injured!" He protested.

Yuuka looked at the boy he was pointing at. She understood, and then picked up the boy called Azusa. "The rest of you are okay? You can walk?" Yuuka asked quickly, but her voice was laced with concern.

The remaining three boys stared at her, but nodded. Yuuka gestured for them to follow her, and began to run, as she hugged Azusa against her chest.

* * *

Once Yuuka finally said that they were safe, the group sat down in exhaustion, taking a break. "We'll rest for a few minutes, then we'll return to my home…" Yuuka briefly explained. Azusa, whom she thought resembled Kanato in some way, was asleep in her arms.

The boy with ruffled black hair and white tips, who was quiet the entire run, looked at her. "... Why…" He murmured, his voice soft from panting from the run.

Yuuka looked at him curiously. "Hmm?"

The boy furrowed his eyebrows. "You're a liar." He said suddenly. Yuuka blinked. "You're not an aristocrat. An aristocrat wouldn't just randomly be in town."

Yuuka blinked, then she smiled. "You're right. I'm not an aristocrat." She responds.

The boy grew confused, but he was still wary. "Why did you buy us? You bought filth- you basically bought trash, are you planning to sell us off somewhere-" The boy was shaking. He was terrified, and Yuuka knew he was aching in pain as well.

"Ruki-" The blonde boy reached out to calm the black-haired boy down.

Yuuka tilts her head, then she looked up at the night sky. "I can't put it in a simple explanation right now. All I can really say right now is, no, I'm not going to sell you off, and.." Yuuka looked at all the young boys' faces, and it pained her greatly. "I wish I could say I bought you your freedom, but unfortunately, the world is so dangerous and cruel in its current state that freedom is simply impossible."

The boy called Ruki stared at her. "So what are you planning to do with us?" He asked quietly.

Yuuka smiled. "It's a decision for you to make, but you can join my family, if you'd like." She says.

Ruki's beautiful eyes widen, and he looks at the other boys. "Join your... Family?"


	3. Blend

Yuuka nodded. "It's not a wonderful option- I know, but unfortunately, it's the only one I can offer." She smiled.

The boy with blonde hair shook his head. "U-Um, no, it sounds... Wonderful, but... Who's in your family?" He asks.

Yuuka couldn't resist patting Azusa's hair gently. "It's me and my six kids, I guess. The oldest is ten years old, and the youngest is seven." She looked over the boys. "What are all your names? I'd like you to introduce yourself." Yuuka asked gently.

The boys were silent for a moment, when the boy with brown hair stood up. "Well, I'm..." He paused, "Yuma."

The boy with blonde hair smiled. Up until now, his bangs had covered the left side of his face, but as he tilted his head, the bangs shifted aside, revealing the empty eye socket that appeared to have been left untreated. "I'm Kou." He says cheerfully.

Yuuka didn't want to ask. She already knew. Well, to some extent.

Ruki sat there, and sighed. "I'm Ruki, as mentioned. And the boy in your arms is Azusa." He states.

Yuuka smiles in return, and looks at Azusa once more, threading her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair. She noticed the very distinctive cut on his nose, like a scar that didn't heal, and that his arms were wrapped in worn-out bandages.

Yuuka quickly stood up, adjusting Azusa so he lay more comfortably in her arms. "We should get going, but we don't have to sprint anymore. We're far from the town, where my home is, and you'll all be safe there." She explains. "And I have to tend to all your injuries as soon as I can."

The four begin to walk. "You don't have to go out of your way to help us…" Ruki mutters.

Yuuka chuckled lightly. "Don't be ridiculous. You're all my family now, and that's what family does."

They were quiet after that. Yuuka looked at the moon. "My boys should be already home by the time we get there, just a little heads up." She says.

Yuma frowns. "What are they like?" He asks.

Yuuka grins. "They're a little rowdy and hyper, but otherwise, they're good kids. Don't worry about it at all. They love new friends." She reassures.

The three boys exchange glances. Ruki just hoped that they were as kind as her.

* * *

The four boys stood idly as Yuuka unlocked the door to a small cottage. Perhaps it was because of their thin clothing or the cold night air, but the boys shivered. Azusa had randomly awoken on the second half of their trip, Yuma and Kou explaining their circumstance. Azusa had merely blinked, and went along with it. He said he didn't mind the pain from his legs, and he could walk the rest of the way.

Yuuka opened the door, letting the four boys in. The sound of clutter, a fire crackling, and occasionally conversation voices rang out as Yuuka shut the door behind them. "Reiji? Shuu? Can I see you two real quick?" Yuuka called out the unfamiliar names to the four boys.

The quartet couldn't help but freeze as they heard two voices respond. A boy with black hair and reddish eyes stepped out. "What is it, Mother-?" He stopped short when he say the four boys.

Yuuka smiled. "I have new members of the family, but I didn't want everyone to bombard them, so could you go tell everyone calmly? I adopted them." Yuuka explained.

Ruki could feel Kou cling to his ragged shirt. Yuuka turned and knelt down to their height-length, smiling warmly. "Reiji will take care of everything. All you have to do later is introduce yourself, okay?" Yuuka says gently. The four boys nodded in unison, causing Yuuka to beam. "Alright. First priority's first: you all will take a bath and I'll clean up your injuries."

The four boys followed Yuuka into the main room, where six boys were huddled up around a couch. They looked at them in curiosity, but not in an unfriendly way. Yuuka motioned that she would explain shortly as she herded the four boys in the bathroom.

The bath was a large-in-width half-barrel, hooked up with running water. The bath could apparently hold six if the people were small in size, so fitting the four boys would be no problem. Yuuka looked worriedly at the boys. "I'll have to clean your wounds first before entering the bath; the soap will sting if I don't." She states. The four boys agree, but were more stunned by the clean and fair bathroom than anything else. "I'm sorry you have to wait a bit again."

Ruki looked up at Yuuka. "It's fine. You're already doing so much for us; we can't thank you enough." He murmurs softly, smiling shyly. Yuuka patted his head gently, his little smile warming her heart.

Kou, Ruki, and Yuma sat patiently as Yuuka placed Azusa on a stool. She damped a clean cloth with warm water, and untied Azusa's bandages. This caused him to panic.

"Wait! Wait! What about- what about Justin? And Christina? And Melissa?" He suddenly rambled, Yuuka blinked. Ruki sighs.

"Azusa has scars on his arms that are his friends. He refuses for them to go away." He explains briefly. Yuuka understands quickly.

She smiled at Azusa. "Don't worry. I'm just cleaning them; they won't go away. They'll just be clean and happy with you." Yuuka reassures. "And I will wash your bandages and put them back on."

Azusa pouts for a moment, then he smiles back. Yuuka carefully cleaned the nasty scars that were hidden behind the bandages. She wiped off the dried blood and disinfected the wounds. Then she took off Azusa's dirty oversized jacket and placed him in the tub. Azusa's eyes widened at the feeling of the warm water; it left a soft and tingly feeling on his skin. It gave him a clean and fresh sort of feeling for the first time.

Next up was Kou. He sat in her lap as she cleaned the cuts in his face. Yuuka paused as the cloth hovered over his empty eye. "I'll be as gentle as I can, I promise." Yuuka says. Kou nods hesitantly.

Yuuka carefully cleaned the edges of Kou's eyes first, before the interior. It was an eerie and horrifying feeling; being able to feel the walls of round, empty socket. Yuuka wiped away the blood, cleaning infected slashes of pus. She disinfects it, patting Kou's shoulders softly as she pulled him into a quick hug. Kou joined Azusa in the bathtub.

Ruki and Yuma were a bit easier to clean. They had more small cuts and scratches, but more bruises than bleeding wounds. Yuuka freshened them up with the disinfectant, and they too stepped into the bath.

The water was comforting to them. Azusa used his hands to try and grasp water, letting it run through his fingers. Yuuka scrubbed Kou's hair gently with soap, applying a generous amount of the foam. She did the same for the three other boys, clearing their hair and bodies of dirt.

When the boys' bath was finished, Yuuka had them wear spare pajamas from Shuu, Ayato, and Reiji.

Ruki stood still as Yuuka tidied the bathroom up again, placing bottles of soap back where they belong. He was wearing a spare from Ayato, where the long black sleeves hung loosely around his arms.

"Do you need help with anything…?" Ruki asks in a timid fashion. Yuuka turned, and smiles at him.

"It's fine. You're all tired, aren't you? And this would be a nice time to meet everyone." Yuuka pursued her lips as she thought. "Actually, that'd might be exhausting to meet so many people in a day-"

Ruki shook his head. "It's okay. It'd be rude to not meet everyone. I don't know how we're going to repay you…"

Yuuka paused in her work. She pats Ruki's still-wet black hair. "Don't worry about it. You don't need to repay anything. If children like you can have someone you can call a mother, and that you'll be happy from now on, that's everything to me." Yuuka grins. "Okay?"

Ruki blushes and nods.

Yuuka guided the four out into the living room, where everyone seemed to be playing. Going outside to play only happened in the morning, when the weather wasn't very cold.

"I'd like to introduce you all to these four." Yuuka beams. "They'll be living with us from now on. Basically, they're your brothers now, too."

It was quiet for a moment, but Ayato and Laito grinned. "Hi!" They said in unison loudly. Reiji smiled as well.

"Hello. Hopefully, we can all be friends."

Shuu sat up on the couch and waved. Kanato murmured a shy, "Hi…" and Subaru nodded.

The quartet was a bit speechless, really. Kou was the first to respond with an energetic greeting as well. Before Yuuka knew it, the four boys blended in perfectly, and the room was alive with conversation and play.

A warm feeling spread through Yuuka, and she laughed. It seemed that she had worried for nothing, and it was relieving.

* * *

Later that night, or to be accurate, the very wee hours of the morning, when the little family was getting ready for bed, Yuuka worked out sleeping arrangements. She knew she could buy a mattress tomorrow, so it'd be easier. But she could make something work for today.

"Perhaps Kanato, Azusa, and Kou can stay in my room, and Reiji, Subaru, and Shuu can share a bed. Is that okay?" Yuuka says. The group of boys in standing in front of her nod. "It'll only be like this today, because I can buy a new bed tomorrow. That way, it won't be as cramped."

With Kanato, Azusa, and Kou in Yuuka's room, Ayato, Laito, Yuma, and Ruki in the bathroom brushing their teeth, the two eldest and the youngest were finished and back in the little attic first.

The bed wasn't horribly cramped, but none of the three could stretch very much. They didn't mind, though, for that it would only last a day.

As they waited for everyone else to come back, Reiji couldn't get the worrying thoughts out of his head.

"Hey, Shuu." Reiji says quietly.

"Hm?"

"I know Mother's too nice for her own good, but do you think adding four more people will be too much for her to handle?"

Shuu opened his eyes, but he didn't move. "Perhaps not, but Mom said she would buy another mattress so boldly. Maybe she got promoted or has a little more money now." Shuu reasoned.

Reiji sighs. "Don't get me wrong, I like those kids. Our new brothers…. But…" He stared at the ceiling.

He knew his mother wasn't dimwitted, but he couldn't help but agonize over it anyway.


	4. A Silver Dagger

_A gunshot rang out again._

" _It's hurts a lot- I can't seem to move."_

" _We can't even escape."_

" _They're taking us back again."_

" _But we're offered a second chance."_

 _It's a figure in white.._

 _The figure's eyes were a gentle yellow at first, but suddenly blurred to a pinkish red-_

* * *

Kou shrieked, and he sat up straight. He took a second to recollect where he was.

"Kou-kun?"

Kou looked over, and he saw Yuuka sit up. She blinked a few times, then smiled sleepily at Kou. "Is something wrong?"

Kou rubbed his eye. "N-No. I'm sorry for waking you."

Yuuka reached out and ruffled his now fluffy blonde hair. "Did you have a nightmare of some sort?"

Kou paused. "Yeah… But I don't remember much of it now." He murmurs.

Kou lies down again, and Yuuka tucks the blanket comfortably around him. "That's okay. If it continues to bother you, you could sleep next to me." Yuuka offers.

The four in the bed lay in the order of Kou and Azusa on Yuuka's right and Kanato on Yuuka's left.

Kou looked over to Azusa's sleeping face. Azusa shifted, so that his arm hugged Kou's. Kou smiles.

"I'll be okay. Thank you."

Yuuka nods, her eyes twinkling even in the dark, and she laid back down.

" _Yuuka-san has pretty eyes…"_ Kou's thoughts continued to ramble on as he nestled down into the warm comforter. " _They kinda remind me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it."_

* * *

It all seemed strange and new to the four new boys in the household. Sleeping in a warm bed that was clean and soft; and yet, being fully clean themselves. It was something they hadn't experienced in a long time, or even never experienced their whole life. But it wasn't just the warmth of new clothes and plush beds. It was the tender feeling of being in a family, being safe for the first time, and maybe even being loved.

As for Ruki and Yuma, who slept in one of the three beds in the small attic, Ruki felt restless. He had been an insomniac since he was brought to the orphanage; the brutal way of life there had been ingrained in him. As he lay on the plush bed, he couldn't seem to shut his brain off.

Yesterday- no- even this morning, he had woken up on cold cement, staring at a dirty and cracked ceiling. Cement was far more comfortable than the spikes the orphanage workers called "hay," which were sharp sticks and could even penetrate clothing, making it worthless as something to sleep on. His back felt broken; his eyes were dirtied with crust, the reminiscences of dried tears, and overall dullness.

Something you would never, ever want to see in a child's eyes.

And yet, here he was. The same boy who had grown dull not too long ago, being… loved? If it were the correct term.

It didn't come to Ruki easily.

He tried to convince himself otherwise.

 _Yuuka-san's not my family._

 _I don't have a family._

But he was stuck on one thing that kept him from believing himself: the fact that Yuuka had rescued them, and took them in. It was already difficult enough to believe that this happened only happened a few hours ago and he was in this clean bed with clean clothes and possibly healing injuries.

How did this happen exactly?

It all seemed too fast, so perfect it was hard to believe.

 _Why is it so hard for me to accept this?_

It's like, there's something in me telling me that this all never happened.

 _That I'm still in that dungeon._

 _In that hell._

 _Like my second chance of life had been…_

 _Something else?_

He wondered if his brothers felt the same way.

* * *

Morning arrived. Ayato was up earlier today for some reason; he had woken up randomly before everyone else and practically felt energy flow through him. He bounded out of his bed. "Laito, wake up!"

And with that phrase, he practically woke up everyone in the attic.

Subaru sat up in his bed, stretching because of the small amount of space he had slept in caused him to feel stiff. "Doesn't Mom usually wake us up?" He grumbles, rubbing his eyes.

"She would've, if Ayato hadn't been a jerk and woke us up _early._ " Shuu muttered, opening one eye.

Ruki's eyes opened, and he sat up frantically. The scene before him was unfamiliar. He felt dazed and drowsy.

He didn't recall falling asleep. He must've just slipped into it, as always.

Reiji stood up; he straightened his loose white dress shirt and ran a hand through his hair. He left the attic first to brush his teeth, while the boys in the attic messed around and talked.

Yuma leaned against the headboard of the bed. He and Ruki exchanged brief looks. They felt awkward, if anything.

"They're always like this."

Yuma jumped and turned to see who was talking to him. It was the white haired boy they called Subaru.

"Oh." Yuma responded, his eyes following the boys as they engaged in energetic play.

"That's just how our family works. We all have a little own backstories and whatever, but most importantly, it's Mom who ties us all together." Subaru continued. He sighs, and crosses his arms, looking away. "That's why you better be happy and grateful just as we are of her, got it?"

Yuma blinked, then he cracked a grin. "No prob. We would've done that anyway without your advice." The brunette's eyes lay rest on the blonde boy still lying on his bed. He was awake, Yuma could tell, but the boy had earphones in.

 _"What a NEET."_ Yuma thought, _"He's the only one that's quiet, though."_

The four new boys eventually have themselves something to go by; it was just strange to be grouped with the Sakamakis when they weren't Sakamakis. So, Ruki chose Mukami for him and his brothers.

Everyone skipped a day of school solely so Yuuka could register the Mukamis for school the next day, and so the Mukamis had more time to adjust with the boys.

And when Yuuka left for work on the day off, the Sakamakis were determined to get to know the Mukamis.

Reiji, being polite and such, reintroduced every one of his brothers again, with their proper and full name and a short description.

"I don't remember, but I don't think you guys introduced yourselves, besides Yuuka telling us you all like to be called the Mukamis." Reiji says. The triplets of the Sakamakis were playing and chasing eachother around in the house, so only Shuu, Reiji, Subaru really were near and listening. Reiji shrugged it off, though. He said the triplets didn't need a proper introduction, because if they wanted one, they would ask. Not that they weren't polite, but they had their own ways of understanding a person.

"There aren't a lotta rules." Shuu said, his eyes closed still and his earphones in as usual. "Because Mom's lenient like that. She wants us to be independent. But to show how responsible we are, we have to work to help her."

Kou tilts his head, and he tugged on Ruki's sleeve. "But if Yuuka-san works so hard, why would she waste her money on… Us…?"

"Stop saying she wasted money on you, stupid." Subaru scoffed. "Mom has a reason for everyone; there's no way she's stupid enough to even think of wasting money."

Reiji smiled, and his vision fogged up again. He resisted his panic, and kept talking: "Right. If Mother bought you, then all you have to do is be grateful and happy. That's it."

"The one rule though-" Shuu suddenly spoke again, slightly irritated that he had been interrupted the first time, "is that, during school, we shouldn't go anywhere else in town."

Yuma tched. "Duh. The rest of the town is dangerous."

The trio of the Sakamakis looked at him in surprise. "It is? Is that why we're told to avoid it? That makes sense…" Reiji murmured, squinting as if he was thinking.

"That's right. We used to live on the streets there." Ruki said at the most. A very, very short explanation, but it was enough. The information clicked, and a shudder ran up the trio's spine.

* * *

Yuuka closed the door of the blacksmith. "Ami?" She called out.

"I'm in the back room!" Replied Ami's voice. The back room, was technically the front, because it was the front of the store.

 _A customer during the night?_

 _That's strange. I don't recall that had ever happened. But there's a time for everything, so.._

Yuuka walks down the short stairs and pushes the slightly open door wider.

Ami and the customer look up. "Ah, Yuuka-san!" Ami beams. "A customer who requested a Silver Ingot 06 Dagger the other day is here to pick it up. Can you go get it for me?" She explains cheerfully.

Yuuka nods. She walks back into the shop to retrieve the item.

Ami came into the room as well. "Ah, business is going to fast! The amount of orders-" Ami picks up the hammer and a piece of aluminum. She sighs. "I gotta get started on this other damn project already... The customer's already paid, by the way~"

Yuuka shrugs, and walks out of the room back to the front.

"Here it is." Yuuka holds out the case the silver dagger was encased in. She opens it, displaying the embroidered, glistening dagger.

The customer smiles. "It's magnificent! What a fine piece of craftsmanship!" He exclaimed. "Did you create this, ma'am?"

Yuuka blinks.

The person standing before her had a slender and pale face, with tumbling blonde locks that were the middle of white and light blonde. He wore glasses and was dressed in a lab coat. Yuuka thought that he was very attractive, but something about him made her feel incredibly uneasy.

He reminded her of someone. But it was impossible...

 _Is it?_

"I-I made the handle, but Ami, the blacksmith who was here, is more skilled with blades." Yuuka responds, a little flustered.

The man smiled warmly. "I see. Well, the handle is beautiful. The art is exquisite." He chuckles. "But it doesn't even come close to you."

Yuuka blushed darkly. "Thank you.." She mutters, unsure what to say.

The man takes the dagger case and bows. "No, thank you! I'll return anytime I need an item molded, since this is such a reliable place." The man turned and began to leave.

Yuuka picked up a clipboard of a list of customers. "W-Wait! Sir, if you could tell me your name before you go? I need to check it off the list…" Yuuka stammers.

The man stops. "Oh," He pauses. Then he smiles once more.

Yuuka stopped cold.

"It's Reinhart, ma'am."

And he left abruptly.

Yuuka dropped the clipboard and dashed to the door, flinging it open, but he was already gone from sight. She felt a curse word slip from her voice, as she turned and hurried into the back room.

"Ami!" Yuuka says, rushing down the stairs.

The blacksmith looks up at her.

"Hm? Did the customer leave already?" Ami asks.

Yuuka was out of breath. "Ami, do you... Do you have that man's address?"

Ami blinks. "Huh? No, I don't. He didn't give it to me because he didn't want it delivered. That's why he picked it up."

Yuuka's face goes pale.

"Ami, can I clock out?"

Ami tilts her head, her eyebrows creasing in concern.

"Sure, but are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just need to get home. Now."

* * *

Yuuka slipped on her sweater as she ran.

 _He broke the deal._


	5. A Little Post Traumatic Stress

Yuuka got home in a frenzy. She was relieved enough to see that the house wasn't burnt down, and that the boys were all inside. She sighed from exhaustion and anxiousness, shutting the door behind her and locking it.

"Mom?" Kanato waddled out from the living room. He smiled brightly at her. "Welcome home."

Yuuka couldn't express how she was glad that he was safe, but she didn't want to worry him. Kanato ran over, hugging her tightly. She picked him up and walked into the large room.

Laito and Ayato were teaching Azusa and Kou how to stack cards to make castles and structures. Reiji was chatting with Ruki, whom look absolutely astounded as Reiji showed him each individual book on the bookcase.

Yuuka felt a warm feeling spread through her, despite being in the cold only a few seconds ago. She was more than anything happy that they were all getting along so well.

But the worries returned just as quickly as they left.

Kanato grinned cheekily at Yuuka again, before running over to Azusa and Kou to play with them as well. Yuuka took this time to go into her bedroom.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Yuuka walks over to the window. The window was still locked, and the curtains were the same. Yuuka opens the small cabinet in her bedside table. There was a folder inside. She took it out slowly and pulled out the document inside it. The document was thin and white, with a red stamp at the bottom and two signatures. Yuuka stared at it for a moment, and her eyes widened.

It was _singed_ at the right top corner. Yuuka took a double-take in the cabinet. Surely enough, there was black ash from the paper streaked across the platform.

 _How is that possible?! How did it get burned?_

 _And how did it not burn the cabinet as well?_

Yuuka held the paper close to her face, staring intently at the burned corner. She must've been still for a two minutes, and she saw the burn progress maybe a millimeter.

It was burning over time.

Yuuka didn't recall this in the deal, either. She thrust the document back into the cabinet, slamming it shut as a shiver shot up her spine.

* * *

 _*Flashback*_

 _"You're entitled to grant me a single wish." Yui Komori muttered. "If you want me to keep playing your ridiculous game."_

 _Karlheinz eyed the young Eve. "I am? And who decides that?" He smirks._

 _Yui clenched her fist. "I'm tired of these routes. It plays with my emotions, and then it disappears- as if- as if it never happened! As if the events in it just never existed! Not only did you curse them, but you had the audacity to throw me in it too.." Yui never rose her voice as high as now, as she stood and occasionally shook in front of him._

 _Karlheinz sighs. "Well, Eve, what would you like your wish to be? I'm not God, so it must be something I'm capable of doing."_

 _Yui stared at the floor. "Make a permanent route." She mumbled._

 _Karlheinz laughed. "That's simply impossible. I cannot keep the player- Eve- in a route permanently-"_

 _"Not me! I mean," Yui's eyes were wide and glassy, "I'll keep playing, but you have to make a permanent route for that set of them. For Ayato-kun, Ruki-kun, Carla-kun, and everyone else- all of them! For that set- only that set."_

 _Silence._

 _At last, Karlheinz nodded. "I suppose it'll be quite fun. I'd like to see how this goes. But remember, Eve-" Karlheinz smiled, that smile that Yui despised, "You have one chance. Because, if you do not intervene, the route will go as it always does, and you will miss your chance." Karlheinz chuckles. "Whatever you're planning, that is."_

 _Yui looked suspicious. "I d-don't trust you. What makes me think you'll leave me alone for that one route?"_

 _Karlheinz held out a papyrus, his signature at the bottom. "If you sign the bottom, it appears we have made this deal. You can keep the document as well."_

 _Yui takes the papyrus._

 _Karlheinz smiles again._

 _"Good luck, Eve."_

 _*End of Flashback*_

* * *

Yuuka glanced outside. Shuu's birthday is in a week.

Ruki has attended school before, but it was so long ago he couldn't help but be nervous all over again.

But that didn't matter now. His brothers were in a much worse position; they didn't have any idea if they had ever attended school, nor did they remember any of it if they ever did.

"You just listen to the teacher and do whatever they say, and, well..." Ruki pondered how he could explain it.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Yuuka reassures, buttoning Azusa's cardigan. She prods Ruki's cheek lightly with her finger. "You have class with Shuu and Reiji. Your brothers will be with Kanato and the others, so don't worry."

She smiled brightly.

Ruki blushed, but he grinned back; the smile was contagious. "I guess." He murmured in response.

"Hey, Ruki!" Ayato poked his head in the room, looking irritated. "Would you and Azusa come here? We gotta tell you stuff about school!"

Yuuka pats Azusa on the shoulder cheerfully, and he and Ruki run after Ayato.

* * *

On the bus, Yuma watched Yuuka disappear from sight as the bus drove on. "So.." He muttered. He was seated next to Shuu for some odd reason; Reiji had hurriedly thrown all the boys in an odd pattern of seating. "What's all you guys' relationship with your mom?"

Shuu opened an eye. "What do you mean by that?" He asked, his tone ever slightly cold.

Yuma blinked. "I mean, are you all biologically her sons?"

Shuu stared ahead. "What would you know about being "biologically related?"" He sighed.

"Answer the question."

Shuu sighed, closing his eyes again. "I don't know. Probably."

"Probably? Do you know at all how a child is born?"

"Don't act like I'm stupid. I know how that works." Shuu scowled. "None of us know, us brothers, but that doesn't matter at all. Who cares about being genetically linked?"

"... Do you have a dad?"

Shuu straight up glared at Yuma. "You don't ask that stuff to a family who took you in. Don't _ever_ bring that up in front of Mom." He hissed.

Yuma looked taken back. He frowned. "I'm trying to understand! Don't you ever question why your mom's so freakin' generous and that she takes care of six, now ten kids, by _herself?_ Don't you think about that?" He glowered.

Shuu already disliked how his voice rose without realization. He sighed heavily. "Look, I dunno. I hate thinking so deep into things. If you wanna know stuff, ask Reiji, he probably knows." Shuu shut his eyes again, and Yuma didn't bother to disturb him again. But still, the brunette's eyes hovered over the boy time and time again.

" _Isn't he the oldest? Why is Reiji the one with all the info and responsibility?"_

Yuma exhaled softly, and he sat back in his seat.

" _The Sakamakis, huh? So is her full name Yuuka Sakamaki?"_

* * *

Yuuka hummed to herself. Today was an off day, and she wanted to spend it with the boys once they got home, but she visited town anyway. Instead, however, she went to a much emptier but less dangerous part of the town; it was nearer the boys' school.

Yuuka stepped in front of a small shop. It was a little toy store that was mostly empty of people.

You'd be surprised that there's a toy shop, but you wouldn't be surprised to see that it was guarded closely.

The front of the store had an odd placement of chains. Yuuka guessed that each chain had some sort of alarm linked to them. And the obvious camera perched on the window was in the wide open. Yuuka guessed that it was run by an aristocrat.

A small bell rang as she stepped inside. A girl sat behind the cashier register. The girl had white hair tied prettily in a ponytail and bright golden eyes. She looked up at Yuuka. "Huh? Are you a customer?" She asked curiously. The girl looked to be in her mid-twenties, or slightly older than Yuuka, to say.

Yuuka blinked. "Uh, yeah."

The girl beamed. "It's so rare for a customer to come in during the weekdays!" She exclaimed, and added quietly, "or any customers at all, aha…"

Yuuka smiled sheepishly. "I see.." She wandered off into the aisles, her eyes scanning the shelves.

A lot of toys were small cars and trucks, dolls, and other little gadgets. But Yuuka didn't think any of those things suited her boys.

Yuuka's purpose of coming today was purchase something for Shuu and Kanato. She would buy more for her other boys, but she didn't want to spend so much until she was financially steady.

Yuuka lingered in the stuffed animal aisle for a moment. Her gaze fell upon a brown stuffed bear, with an eyepatch over its left button eye and a tiny little red vest.

" _I'm surprised I found it here."_

Yuuka stared at it. She didn't want to touch it out of reflex or even look at it oddly, and had to remind herself that that wasn't the case anymore.

Yuuka picked up the bear, squinting at it.

She squeezed the bear's stomach, and was glad to not feel nothing but stuffing inside, and not a small bottle.

Yuuka placed the bear in her arms and continued down the aisle.

" _Well, Shuu seems to really like that set of earphones I gave him a few years ago, so I can't simply buy a new one.. What else would be sort of nice?"_

Yuuka sighed.

"Are you looking for something?" A voice behind her spoke. Yuuka turned and saw the girl from before.

Yuuka couldn't help but blush, being caught in the act of being indecisive. "O-Oh, erm… I suppose so. I'm buying a gift for my… son."

The girl blinked. "Your son? You look rather young to have a son! Well- ah- I guess I can't say that, because it'd be hypocritical of me." She giggled.

Yuuka tilted her head.

As a matter of fact, this girl looked so strangely familiar.

"You look really young as well- do you have a son?" Yuuka asks.

The girl chuckled. "I have two sons. What is your son like? Perhaps I can help you!"

Yuuka nodded. "Uh… he's quiet. He really likes classical music and such.." She murmured.

The girl tapped her chin as she walked ahead. "Let's see here… A shy one, hm?"

Yuuka averted her eyes. "I wouldn't say shy.." She said under her breath, but wanted to slap herself.

" _I'm thinking about the past again."_

" _Back to the present, Yuuka."_

The girl looked confused momentarily, but shrugged it off.

"Ah, well. I'm guessing you get along with your son? That's wonderful." The girl spoke as she rummaged through toys.

Yuuka reddened, and she couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I guess."

The girl smiled. "I get along with only of my sons really well. It's a shame, really. He gets along more with his father."

"Your husband, you mean?"

".. Yes, indeed. Though we've been disagreeing lately, aha…"

Yuuka paused. That story sounded vaguely familiar.

"So that's how it is… Hmm.."

The girl stood up. "Well, well, don't worry about it at all. Does your son play an instrument?"

Yuuka's eyes widened. "Er, no, but I think he would like to learn how to."

The girl grinned, and she held up a case. "I'd think it would be nice to learn violin." She giggled.

Yuuka gasped. "Eh..?! Really? I mean, I think he'd like that… but I'm afraid I can't afford something like that."

The girl hugged the case. "It's not as expensive as you think, I believe! What do you say?"

Yuuka thought it was too good of an idea to turn down, so she did purchase it.

* * *

As Yuuka stood at the register and the girl wrote the purchase down, the door behind the girl opened, and a boy stepped out.

"Mother, what- oh." The child was really beautiful for his age. He resembled his mother greatly, with wavy white hair and large golden eyes.

Yuuka found herself looking curiously at the child, and it clicked.

" _That's why she looked so familiar! She's directly related. "_

The girl looked over. "Ah, Carla-kun! We have a customer." She said, but the boy called Carla was focused on Yuuka. He looked confused, and squinted, as if trying to remember something.

Yuuka laughed nervously. "Well, thank you anyway for the help. I'll probably come back some time." Yuuka says.

The girl gave her a little salute. "Thank you for shopping here!" She said cheerfully.

And Yuuka left, wondering if her previous actions had involuntarily finished her next task already.


	6. Cakes and Bruises

Yuuka got home fairly early, not used to the fact that she got home and the boys hadn't finished the school day yet. The house was unusually quiet.

Yuuka headed into her room, thinking to clean the bathroom. As she stepped in the glassy small room, her reflection caught her attention.

Her roots were lighter, and the once bright colors were fading back to blonde. Her eyes were pinker.

"Huh." Yuuka ignored it. It was aging, and the colors in her hair weren't natural, so they were bound to fade anyway.

...

Yuuka couldn't recall a lot of the deal she made. It was just, so long ago. Almost eleven years ago. What she's been in now has been by far the longest route she's been in. This made her exceptionally nervous, since it seemed like it could all end any moment.

"Well, I suppose I should start preparing for Shuu's birthday that's coming up soon."

* * *

 _*Second Flashback*_

 _Yui stood there, taking a moment to remember where she was. It was weird; as always, the route began in front of the Sakamaki mansion, but the mansion looked... Different._

 _It looked newer and cleaner, but seemed just as desolate as she remembered. There wasn't a suitcase next to her, either, which gave her an idea that she was either a passerby or not supposed to be there._

 _Yui dashed away from the front of the gate; if she stood there idly for too long, she'd be spotted and questioned, and not by the older Sakamaki boys._

 _Yui drew the conclusion that this was the Sakamaki mansion, but it was before all the kids were born. In the mansion lived their mothers: Beatrix, Cordelia, and Christa. And perhaps Karlheinz was nearby as well, which made a shiver run up her spine._

 _Yui ran down the side of the mansion. This was incredibly dangerous; the vampires would be able to smell her out if she wasn't careful. The last thing she wanted was to die here in a route._

 _If only she could find a calendar. Her plan began today, and there wasn't any time to waste. But it was difficult to plot everything out when she didn't know what year or time she had been thrown in. Luckily for her, when a route started, Karlheinz wasn't considered a God and couldn't watch over her every move. Instead, he joined the universe as well. But this isn't necessarily a good thing._

 _To her surprise, her phone was in her pocket, which made figuring out the time much easier._

 _Yui registered the date immediately; it was the week Beatrix was in labor, and gives birth to Shuu in two days. And she only knew this due to her extensive research the past decade or so on them._

 _Yui's plan was to steal the children, one after the other, until she gathered all six. And perhaps, if the Mukamis and the Tsukinamis were in this world as well, she could find them._

 _She started this plan quite a long time ago, when she grew attached the boys and grew a hatred towards what broke them._

 _It was difficult, since in each start of a route, Yui loses partial memory of her experience on other routes for the sake of falling in love again. It occurred to her after a while that she didn't love any of the boys as a partner, but grew to care for them so badly it was as if she loved them like family. It explained why, in each route, her so-called 'feelings' would grow weaker and more difficult to obtain._

 _Yui knew the inside of the mansion well; she knew that the structure would still be the same, maybe with an extra room or so, but she could guess which rooms housed which female or whatever else it held._

 _For the rest of the day, she stealthily dashed around the mansion, looking for Beatrix, when she found her room in the west wing of the house._

 _Unlike human children, vampire children are predicted to be born precisely and rarely born inaccurate to the prediction, so Yui wasn't surprised that Beatrix was in her room in bed, preparing for the upcoming day. This is due to pureblood vampires being rarer than not, since it was so much easier to turn a human into a vampire rather than giving birth to one._

 _Something about the mother's original carelessness told Yui that stealing Shuu wouldn't be too difficult. She just had to be quick about it._

 _She sat there against the wall. She wasn't sure if she should stay there for the night, but she didn't want to get caught._

 _But where would she go?_

 _Her route would end before it even started if she died. She decided stick it out there._

 _When Yui woke up, she was shivering and cold, but luckily still in the same spot. She looked at the watch on her wrist. By this time, she assumed Shuu was born already._

 _Yui got on her feet, peering over the fence at the room. Beatrix wasn't there, but there was a visible cradle in the room._

 _"How convenient. Why am I not surprised she left a newborn alone?" Yui murmured to herself._

 _She hopped over the fence and clambered over the grass._

 _Still, Yui has never seen a vampire baby before, so she wonders if they're as fragile as human newborns. Probably not, she assumes._

 _After one last glance around, Yui slowly climbed up the side of the mansion, finding grip on the small brick openings._

 _She reached the window, pushing it open as quiet as possible._

 _A soft melody came from the room; a lullaby. But Beatrix wasn't in the room. Yui felt a little disgusted._

 _She climbed into the room slowly, and her eyes fell over the cradle._

 _The child already had a fair amount of hair, and didn't look very fragile, but was pale._

 _Yui lingered there for a moment. This was Shuu- as a child. He looked angelic. He was asleep, breathing softly._

 _Anger shot through her when she knew he became corrupted and emotionless anyway._

 _Yui picked up Shuu, using her jacket to give him some sort of blanket._

 _Yui sat on the window sill, hugging Shuu against her chest, and she jumped._

 _Yui landed swiftly on the ground, managing to stay upright. She looked down at the child in her arms, who was fine. Breathing a sigh of relief, Yui began her escape before she could be caught. Hopefully- hopefully Beatrix would be away from the room long enough for her to get far, far away._

 _It didn't actually occur to her that she didn't have a place to stay and protect the child yet. When she realized this, horror washed over her. She had to take care of Shuu, and as a newborn, it was risky._

 _Yui ran for an hour, on the outer edges of the town, to the countryside fairly near._

 _She spots a house._

 _"Maybe, maybe whoever lives there will let me stay there for a night."_

 _But when she got to the door, it didn't appear to be locked._

 _Hesitant- and terrified- Yui opened the door and stepped inside._

" _Please excuse my intrusion…" She said softly aloud. There was no reply._

 _There seemed to be nobody home._

 _Still holding Shuu, Yui walked timidly around the house. It was fairly empty; there was barely any furniture, and the house was small. It appeared that whoever had lived in it before was long gone, and the house has been abandoned since._

 _Yui could hardly believe her luck._

 _But Yui arrived in this world with nothing but the phone in her pocket and the clothes she was wearing. Surely, now, she had to find some steady way to receive income._

 _*End of Flashback*_

* * *

The family was downstairs, and as Yuuka had planned, they were just spending some time together.

The boys played cards competitively, keeping track of their scores and wins frequently. Kanato disliked participating in such games, since he didn't quite understand the rules or how to play (and that the purplette could really be a sore loser), so he spent the time sat in Yuuka's lap as usual.

Yuuka was very affectionate to him today, Kanato thought. Not that she usually wasn't, just today she was cheerful and squeezing him and fussing with his hair.

"Mom, are you alright?" Kanato asked curiously. Yuuka looked at him in surprise.

"Eh? I'm fine." She responds. "Kanato, are you lonely when I'm at work?"

Kanato tilts his head. "Sometimes." He replies.

Yuuka sighs, and she smiles. "Well, I got a gift for you."

She reached behind the couch and pulled out the bear. She set it in Kanato's hands.

"A teddybear?" Kanato's eyes sparkled. Yuuka squeezed him again.

"Do you like it?"

Kanato stared at the bear. It was really adorable in his eyes, with its pirate theme.

"Yes! Thank you, mom!"

Kanato hugged the bear as Yuuka swayed him slightly. "What are you thinking of naming Mr. Bear?"

Kanato pursued his lips. "Hmm… I'm not sure!"

* * *

A week passed fairly quickly, and the day of Shuu's birthday approached.

Since Shuu disliked overly sweet things, Yuuka chose to make the cake herself instead of just buying one.

"I suppose I'll head to a grocery or so…"

The grocery was in the same part of the time as the toy store she visited the other day. There were a few customers in the store besides her.

Yuuka picked out a few ingredients. From what she knew, Shuu's favorite fruits were a very small selection to choose from; he only really liked mangoes.

"A mango cake, huh… I can do that." Yuuka mumbled to herself. She found the rest of the ingredients she needed for the mildly sweet cake, and headed over to the checkout area.

Yuuka was caught by surprise as she stepped in line and saw the cashier; it was a very young boy, who looked nine. He had thin, teal glasses and ruffled rusty blonde hair that was cut messily to the nape of his neck.

He seemed to be very cheerful as each customer came and went.

Yuuka recognized him immediately, even with the slight changes since it was a child.

" _Why is he working the cashier register?"_

Yuuka's turn came rather quickly because of the boy's swift work, and she couldn't help not asking a question or so.

"Erm, is there a reason you work here at such a young age?" Yuuka asked, becoming embarrassed because it was such a random and strange question to ask this to someone who clearly didn't know her.

The boy looked up from his work, his eyes large and beautiful. "Oh? It's because my dad owns the store, so I just work here for fun and stuff, ma'am!" He responds with a bright smile.

"That's quite amazing. You're very efficient." Yuuka compliments as the boy bagged her items.

The boy blushed. "Thanks!"

Yuuka saw that he was wearing a name tag,

'Shin.' It read.

Yuuka took the bags and headed home.

* * *

It was lunchtime for the school boys. While some were finishing up their lunches, most were already done and on the playground.

"What should we play today, Laito, Subaru?" Ayato asked excitedly.

Subaru shrugged. "Tag's fun."

"But it's boring just like that! How about Frozen Tag?"

"What's Frozen Tag?" Laito asked his brother.

Ayato placed his hands on his hips, eager to explain. "It's where there's one or two people are the taggers, and if they tag you, you have to be frozen on the spot until a teammate taps you! But it's not fun with only a few people."

Laito waved his hands. "That's not a problem! We'll just get everyone else to play!"

Since Laito was a fairly popular student, gathering up players was easy. Soon, everyone broke out in the boisterous play Frozen Tag.

Ayato shrieked when a tagger targeted him, and he began to run. But as he looked to his left to make sure there was no one there, he collided harshly with the side of a slide. He fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

Laito was immediately next to him. "Ayato! are you okay?" He knelt down. A large bruise was already forming on Ayato's forehead and jaw. "We have to take you to the nurse."

Laito hurriedly placed Ayato's arm over his shoulder and helped his brother to the nurse's office.

* * *

Laito sat down with Ayato on the cot. "Oh dear, what happened?" A male wearing a labcoat approached the two boys. "I'm the school nurse, Reinhart."

"Ah, he was just running and he hit a wall, Reinhart-sensei." Laito explains.

The nurse smiled warmly. "I see." He examined Ayato's bruises. "It's not a bad case; the bruises will heal over time. I'll get you an ice pack. Would you like me to call your parents?"

Ayato shook his head, surprising Laito. "No. I'll be okay, we don't need to call Mom."

Reinhart nods. "Just rest for a while here; I'll contact your teacher that you'll be absent. As for you-" Reinhart looks at Laito. "Unless you want to stay with him, you can go back to class."

Laito grins, and hops off the bed. "Don't do anything stupid, Ayato. I'll tell Mom about what happened, don't worry."

Ayato shook his head, but regretted it from the raging headache it gave him. "No, don't tell Mom! She might get mad!"

Reinhart chuckled. "I've met your mother once or twice; she's quite understanding and sweet. She won't get mad at you."

Laito looked curiously at the school nurse. "You know our mom?"

Reinhart simply shrugged. "Only a little. She's very kind and interesting, though." He says, smiling once more.

Laito waved goodbye to Ayato, and left the office. He wondered how well his school's nurse knew his mom.


	7. The Gods, Angels, and Demons

"Happy Birthday, Shuu!" Yuuka exclaimed and she hugged her son tightly. Shuu blinked in surprise, as he turned to look at his mother, and he smiled.

"Thanks, Mom."

The house was decorated with colorful banners and balloons, which was the tradition that Yuuka did for every one of their birthdays. Most banners and balloons were reused from the 'parties,' but some were brand new.

The day couldn't really be classified as much different from other days. It just so happened to land on a weekend, so the boys didn't have school, and Shuu wasn't sure whether the celebration was considered a party either. Not that he wanted a party, nor was he at all ungrateful; the day was special to him nonetheless.

Normally not the center of attention, Shuu would never get used to the attention his brothers paid him on his birthday. Where they would make him little cards of paper and include him in things he otherwise would not be in. He was confused whether he should like it or not, but for some reason, it felt endearing. It was days like these where the feeling of love towards his family would be clear and refreshed again, so he would never forget.

"Did you make the cake yourself, Mom?" Shuu asked curiously, staring at the mango cake before him. Yuuka chuckles.

"I did, but it's not that great, eh?"

"No, it looks fine." Shuu reassures her. He didn't care for the cake's design, and he didn't really think much of what it would taste like. just the fact that there _was_ a cake made for him, and made specially for him, was enough.

Reiji paused to examine it. "Amazing. You did an impressive job, Mother."

"Aha, don't put it that way."

* * *

Yuuka cut the cake into slices and distributed it amongst everyone, beaming as the brothers all talked and smiled whilst eating.

"Oh, and Shuu, I got you a present." Yuuka states brightly. Shuu blinked twice.

"Did you really? You shouldn't of, I didn't really want one.." He mumbled, a rosy blush painting his face.

"Shut up, nii-san." Subaru replied. The white-haired grabbed his brother's arm affectionately and grinned cheekily. "Don't turn down something from Mom. And it's your birthday."

Yuuka couldn't stop smiling as she placed the case in front of Shuu, watching his eyes sparkle in hidden excitement. He reached forward, unlocking the case's clasps and lifting it open.

The violin inside glistened, looking splendidly new and beautiful.

"No way." Shuu breathed.

Subaru practically hugged his brother's arm. "Nii!" He exclaimed.

Yuuka clasped her hands together. "Do you like it?" She asked.

Shuu broke free from Subaru and embraced Yuuka. "Thank you!"

Yuuka returned his hug. "Well, I'm expecting you to play your taste in music for us sometime, okay? I've always wondered whether you enjoy the music on the player."

Shuu laughs, his eyes brimming slightly with tears of happiness.

Ruki and Yuma appear next to Subaru.

"Oh, you like classical music?" Yuma asked.

Shuu hurriedly wipes his tears away in embarrassment. "Yeah. I've always been a fan." He responds.

"I see.." Ruki spots the violin in the case. "In that case, you'll be good at the instrument."

Shuu shrugs. "Perhaps."

* * *

In that time, Yuuka had made her way over to the couch, where she sat besides Kanato and Laito. As Shuu walked over, she gestured for him to sit on the couch as well.

The night continued, as Ayato managed to convince Laito, Subaru, Reiji, and the Mukamis to put on a skit for entertainment. But Ayato disliked the idea of having scripts, since he thought it would waste the night away by writing them, so everyone agreed to act out a fairytale in a storybook Yuuka occasionally read to them as a bedtime story. The group set up blankets as curtains and hid behind the 'stage' as they quickly discussed which characters they would each play

As Shuu, Kanato, and Yuuka waited and chatted, Ayato settled everyone's characters. The story they played out was the gods, angels, and demons, and the century-lasting war between the angels and the demons.. They made little crowns for Kou and Subaru, as they were the two gods Asura and Kruru. Yuma and Azusa were angels called Sariel and Crestia, and they dressed in oversized white shirts. Reiji, Laito, and Ruki played the demons named Maou, Alciel, and Urushihara, and they wore bowls as 'horns' and battle armor. And Ayato insisted to be the narrator.

And so, Reiji and Ruki pulled the curtains open on the side and quickly ran behind the 'stage.' Thus, Ayato's 'professional' narration began.

On the 'stage,' Kou and Subaru sat in high yellow chairs (taken from the dining table), faking a long and heated discussion about the war between the angels and the demons. They agree that the Demon King, who ruled over the demons, must be stopped at all cost. But simply fighting the demon army would be dangerous and cost lives. So they decided to infiltrate the demons' largest base, hidden on the planet Earth. They call for the angels (Yuma and Azusa stumble clumsily onto the stage) and command them to leave Heaven and search for the demons' base and destroy it stealthily.

The two angels agree, descending onto Earth through a portal. The portal closed unexpectedly, and the angels found themselves stripped of their powers and vulnerable on Earth's ground. With no way to contact the gods, and without the ability to recall to Heaven, the angels set out to find the demons anyway.

They befriend three humans, who claim to have a similar goal to them. The bond between these humans and the angels grow stronger, and they set out across Earth to protect other humans in danger.

However, when encountering the evil who was behind the great disruptions on Earth, the three humans are paralyzed, which surprise the angels. When the evil calls to the three humans, they return to their original forms. To the angels' surprise, the three humans were not humans at all, but rather demons the entire time, and were stripped of their powers just like the angels.

In the presence of the great evil, the angels regain their powers, but they are surrounded by the demon army. The three demons who befriended the angels make a risky decision; to betray the demon army for the time being and protect the angels. The angels' powers diminish, as they are working with demons and their power will only flourish if they are 'pure', but it is enough to sustain their escape.

The five, two angels and three demons, were able to flee the battle scene, but as they hide in the countryside, the gods send a messenger down to search for the angels. The messenger acts shadily when realizing the angels are with demons, and sends a message to the gods that the angels were traitors and teamed up with the demons.

The gods appear on Earth in anger, finding the two angels and threatening to destroy them and the Earth, including the Underworld. The angels desperately try to explain, but the demon army appear suddenly.

The final battle between the gods, the Demon King, the demon army, the angel army, three traitor demons and two traitor angels began.

The gods grew fed up with the three interfering demons, and fired a beam at them, but Sariel (Yuma) dived forward and 'took the bullet.' As the Sariel, the First Angel, lay dying, and the three demons and Crestia rushed to Sariel's side, the gods subdued the Demon King and his army, forcing them back to the Underworld.

The gods felt pity and empathy for the dying angel and his 'traitor' comrades. They made the decision to revive the angel. The three demons were presented the option to become angels, but they declined the offer, feeling as if they would never fit in and were never born to be angels. The gods compromised, and changed the five to humans. As the gods fixed the broken Earth, they returned to Heaven, and allowed the five to fix the world and the humans' perspectives, if they so wished to.

* * *

Yuuka, Shuu, and Kanato clapped at the end of the play as her sons and adopted sons bowed together, and the curtain fell. The boys emerged from the curtains anyway, talking excitedly about their performance on-the-spot. Ayato was practically glowering with pride at how well it actually turned out.

"That was amazing! How did you manage to replicate the story so well?" She asked. Ayato laughs sheepishly.

"You read that story to us a lot! I really like it, so I would sometimes read it myself until I memorized it." Ayato confesses.

Laito pursued his lips. "Ayato doing something that involves using his brain?"

Reiji shook his head and chuckles. "Perhaps Shuu's birthday is a day of miracles."

"Shut UP!"

Yuuka burst out in laughter. "I see." She continues. She gets up, and suddenly, she wobbles in place. Yuuka's face pales, and she nearly falls if it weren't for the ten children rushing to her side.

"Mom?"

"Mother! Are you alright?"

Yuuka blinks, confused at the sudden raging headache that appeared. Her legs felt distorted and weak all of a sudden. "I.. I believe so.. But.." Her voice wavers.

Ruki presses his hand against Yuuka's forehead. "I believe she's caught a cold."

Subaru sighs. "Jeez. Looks like you've overworked yourself again, Mom." He mutters. Shuu, Subaru, Ayato, and Laito help Yuuka into her bedroom.

Kanato walks towards them, but Reiji grabs him. "Eh? But I want to help!" Kanato whines, wanting to be by his mother's side, but Reiji shakes his head.

"You'll catch her cold if you're by her. Besides, she might need some space from everyone to cool off and feel better." Reiji explains, ignoring Kanato's unhappy pout. But the purplette gives in, for his mother's comfort.

Little did they know that Yuuka's sickness was nothing they could catch. Nor was it a cold at all.

* * *

"Hey, Azusa-san!" Kanato was hopping up and down. "Mom said we should go shopping for her!"

Azusa peered out of the blanket he was snuggled in. "...Hmm..?" He hummed in response. Ruki walked over.

"She said you two? Maybe I should come with you." Ruki suggests. Kanato beamed.

"Okay!"

Azusa rolled out of the blanket and stood up. "That… sounds… fun…" He says, smiling.

Kanato guided the two out of the house cheerfully, following a map Yuuka had sketched for him. She didn't tell them that the route she told them to follow was the safest way to get to the grocery; which meant it didn't go through _that_ part of the town at all. Ruki wanted to avoid the town anyway, so when Kanato gave him the map, he was relieved.

He wondered why he was still worried about the orphanage finding him. He looked entirely different almost; he's been living in a safe home for more than a month, and he attended a good elementary school. And besides, Yuuka bought him, so it'd be against the law for him to be taken again.

Ruki almost spat on the floor and laughed.

 _Laws?_ Since when did anyone ever follow the laws?

"Is… that… it…?" Azusa asked as they approached a walkway with lots of shops.

Ruki's eyes scanned the shops.

"Oh, there's the grocery there, next to the toy store."

The three kids entered, earning a strange look or two from a few customers, but they shrugged it off.

"Erm, Yuuka said to buy these items…" Ruki mumbled to himself, glancing at the list Yuuka gave him.

Usually, the boys wouldn't go shopping for Yuuka, since she'd just do it herself. Ruki sighed. But she couldn't leave the house lately due to being sick.

She's been for around a week and a half since Shuu's birthday, hasn't she?


	8. Lunatic

Eventually, a new routine in the household began to develop. With no sign of Yuuka recovering just yet, time passed slowly.

The household was less cheery. Reiji took up full responsibility of taking care of everyone, but they hardly saw Yuuka during the day at all.

But every time the boys were to visit her in her room, and talk to her, she would only apologize endlessly.

She would say things like, "I'm sorry I can't take care of you all."

She would say, "I'm sorry it has to be like this again."

And most often, "I'm sorry it had to end so early."

And she would never reply when the boys would try to cheer her up or said she didn't have to be sorry.

It was like Yuuka was gone.

…

But the boys would never want to talk about it. Yet the statement would remain in the back of their heads.

They didn't know why she was apologizing.

At first, they would take her words for what they meant literally. But it didn't make sense.

Reiji visited her one night. His vision had worsened during Yuuka's absence, so he stumbled into her room.

Yuuka noticed this, and spoke freely for the first time.

"Reiji… is your vision going bad..?"

Reiji sat down next to her on her bed. "I-I'm fine." He replies.

"Don't be silly… it'll be bad.. if you don't tell me…"

Reiji sat quiet for a moment. He swung his legs. "Um.. it's been like this for while. It's just blurry- that's all." He admits.

Yuuka sighs. "Stupid. Go to the eye doctor already."

"What?! Glasses are really expensive, I can't just do that…"

"It's fine. It's for your own health.."

Reiji eventually did visit the eye doctor, and purchased a pair of glasses. It definitely made Reiji's daily life easier, but every time he held them in his hands, he felt guilt.

* * *

The new routine was much quieter, by all means. The boys would attend school, return home, do homework and whatnot, read, and play. Well, playing would become more rare as the boys gradually grew older.

Two years passed. One night, Subaru decided to check in on Yuuka after dinner. He stepped in her room, which gave off a scent of medicine and herbs. To his surprise, Yuuka was extremely pale, and her breathing was ragged. Panicking, Subaru rushed out of her room to tell Reiji, who finally agreed to call an ambulance.

When Subaru informed informed Yuuka of this, she looked shocked at first, and then was silent once more.

And for what seemed like the first time in years, she spoke something that was not an apology.

"Subaru.. I don't know what's going to happen to me. I don't know if I'll recover but.. take care of everyone, for me.. Okay?"

This hit Subaru a bit too emotionally. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Mom, don't say it! You're going to recover! You're going to come back to us again. I'm sure of it." He says remorsefully, unsure why he felt such a rage that there was no other choice but for Yuuka to leave.

Yuuka smiles. "I can't promise you that. I'm sorry." She pats his head and places her hands over his. "Be safe, okay? Don't let anyone ever hurt you."

The ambulance arrived. As people put Yuuka on a stretcher and lifted her into the ambulance, the boys were questioned about their living whereabouts by an officer. It was explained that they were living with their single mother, and that's all. Luckily, with Shuu's convincing, the boys were allowed to stay at their house.

"Will we be allowed to visit our mom? We are, right?" Kanato asked the officer. The officer shook his head.

"It depends on our conditions. If you boys are telling the correct symptoms of her sickness, it might take a while for her to recover. We'll contact you if anything happens."

This was extremely unsettling.

"Why'd this have to happen to Yuuka?" Ruki scowls helplessly, as Kou clung to his side and cried. The house was gloomy the rest of the night.

* * *

 _Four Years Later_

"If you don't hurry up, we'll be late." Reiji says coldly to the triplets.

"Yes, yes, ma'am." Ayato snarls, slipping on his jacket.

Since last year, the school the boys attended upgraded to providing dorms for the students on campus. The school itself had profited, growing into branches that resembled a college.

This year, the money left to pay the house the boys lived in had run out, so living in the dorms was the next best idea. Unfortunately, as they applied to the dorms, the Mukamis were separated from them and lived probably on the other side of the school, and never saw them since.

The dorms were large and melancholy. There were multiple bedrooms in each dorm, giving the boys an opportunity to have their own. This, in the end, only added to an unfortunate result.

It had been difficult for the boys to accept this. Moving away from the house that they grew up in with Yuuka.

The topic of their mother was almost never brought up anymore. The conversations felt sour and would only make them depressed and dangerously curious of her condition.

A phone call from the hospital at the beginning of the school year gave them an answer.

Reiji, being the one normally responsible, picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Reiji said into the phone.

"Hello. Is this the new Sakamaki residence?"

Reiji had never heard anyone call it that.

"...Yes, it is."

"This is Doctor D. L. I am calling from Ryuunosuke Hospital, on behalf of your mother."

Reiji paused. "My mother? What about my mother?!"

There was a silence on the line, and what sounded like the rummaging through papers.

"We feel unfortunate to inform you that your mother passed away last night, at 3:46 a.m."

Reiji felt like he had been stabbed. A lump grew in his throat.

"... I see."

"We would like you or something in your residence to come by the hospital to retrieve her possessions."

"Alright. I will."

"Would you like to schedule a funeral for-"

Reiji hung up abruptly.

After hearing the news, the relationship between the Sakamakis and the Mukamis also grew… nonexistent, almost. Needless to say, things have changed.

Shuu became more distant.

Reiji became strict and cold.

Ayato became narcissistic and malicious.

Laito grew tired of being protected and began to drift towards harmful things.

Kanato became unhealthily obsessed with his bear and mentally unstable.

And Subaru fell into a horrific depression driven by anger.

It was everything Yuuka didn't want. It was what she wanted to steer them away from. She had succeeded for a while, but fate was cruel. And if she wasn't around, somehow, in some way, they would become that way once more.

Life was still normal for the boys, because they didn't notice these things. And sometimes, they would cling onto the only thing that kept them like how they used to be; their memories. It, at least, kept them from destroying each other.

This all would have continued if it weren't for odd events happening to each and every one of them.

* * *

After a long school day, as Ayato sat on the couch flipping through channels on the T.V., the doorbell to their dorm rang.

"Ugh, who could it be?" He grumbled. With no idea where his brothers were, and surely, it wasn't them because they all had keys, he had no choice but to open it. Getting up, he trudged towards the door. He looked through the peephole.

It was a woman with tumbling, iris-colored hair. She was dressed lavishly, as if she was rich or important of some sort. But what disturbed Ayato most was her sharp eyes, which were lime green with a yellowish glow.

It had to be just a coincidence of sorts, right?

Ayato opens the door, and couldn't resist glaring at the woman. "Who the hell are you?" He asks.

The woman looks up at him, and doesn't say anything. Her eyes wander up and down him, as if examining him. "Hmph. What a disappointment." Were her words.

Ayato felt irritated. "What?!" He asked.

"I shouldn't be too surprised that you turned out like this, you weren't under my care. Now all you are is scum and worthless. Ah- maybe I should be glad you disappeared." She continued talking.

"Okay, first, shut up! Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here at my dorm?! You can't just show up at my doorstep and start saying insults right to my face!" Ayato snapped.

The woman smirked. "Ah, but I can. I have every right to. Because I gave birth to you."

Ayato froze, but he believed this woman was crazy. "Are you insane?! Can you leave already?! It's against the rules to be at the dorms at this hour!"

The woman began to laugh. "You're gullible. If we ran a genetic test right now, I'd be correct. It's a shame you don't remember me, which tells me you were a foolish newborn. You were stolen by that girl with the pink eyes, so it doesn't really matter."

Ayato stepped backwards. "You're not my mom, you lunatic! My mom's already gone!" He yells, before slamming the door shut.

He was out of breath for some odd reason.

 _What the hell… Some bitch coming to my dorm and trying to convince me she's my mom.. the fuck?!_

 _Yuuka's my mom, that's bullshit._

But the steady image of that woman's eyes were impaled in Ayato's head. He ran into the bathroom and gazed at himself in the mirror. Surely, it was some coincidence that they looked the same, right? There's no way that Yuuka's not his mother.

* * *

" _I feel really thirsty for some reason."_

Reiji frowned. He went to grab a glass of water. But as the water slid down his parched throat, it did nothing to ease the sting. "What in the world?" Reiji was irritated by the feeling of a sore throat.

Shuu strolled into the room, surprising Reiji, as he hardly left his bedroom nowadays except to go to school. "Oh, right. You're sixteen, aren't you?" Shuu says suddenly out of nowhere.

"Yeah? Hold on for a second, I have to make a tea-"

"No, listen to me really quick. I have a feeling you think you have a sore throat."

Reiji looks at his brother. "What are you talking about? How'd you know?"

Shuu leaned against the wall. "Just a hunch. Anyway, it's not a sore throat." He folds his arms.

Reiji blinks. "What… do you mean?"

Before Shuu can reply, Ayato burst into the room. "Guys! Oh god, I'm so glad you're back!" Ayato seemed like he came back from a jog or something, because he looked flushed and out of breath.

Those words sounded weird coming from Ayato's mouth.

"You are?" Reiji says in surprise.

"You're glad?" Shuu echoes.

Ayato stops to regain his breath. "While you were out, this weird lady came to our door. When I opened it, she started saying crazy stuff, like insulting me straight up and claiming to be my mom!" He explains hurriedly.

Shuu and Reiji exchange looks. "Are you sure she wasn't drunk or on drugs or something?" Shuu suggests.

Ayato shook his head. "I don't think so. She seemed formalish.. like what some kids call aristocrats or whatever."

The realization hit Shuu. "Wait, Ayato, did you notice anything weird about her? Like, if she looked like you or something?"

Ayato made a face. "I don't think about that stuff. But, yeah, I guess… Her eyes look kinda like mine and Laito's.. and she had purple hair. Kinda like Kanato. That's stupid, though. It's like saying this person with brown hair is related to this other person with similar brown hair."

"That's not what I meant." Shuu continues. "Anything off about her? Like, sharp canines?"

Ayato stared at his older brother. "Uh.. no..? I don't know."

Shuu sighs. "Well, anyway, let me finish what I was gonna say, before you interrupted me. Ayato, you said that weird lady said she was your mother?"

Ayato shrugs, but nods.

Shuu continues. "Well, since the other day Reiji told me to run by the hospital to get Yuuka's things, I went through some of her stuff to make sure it was all there, and I found a few things.."

Shuu looked at his feet.

"How do I say this? Uh.."

Reiji glared at Shuu. "What are you trying to say?! What did you find?!" He demands.

Shuu sighed angrily in exasperation. "Maybe, maybe..! That woman Ayato's talking about.. she could be.. right."


	9. Identity

**Sorry about the delay. I am currently extremely busy. Last week I was preparing for finals, so I had barely any time to write.**

* * *

The Sakamaki's phone rang multiple times from different funeral services. Reiji refused to answer any of them.

He didn't want a funeral for Yuuka.

Funerals are like a permanent stamp of death. Sending the person's soul to peace and off of Earth.

It wasn't that Reiji didn't want Yuuka to have peace. He just didn't like accepting the fact that she died of something like a sickness.

 _There's no way she simply died of a sickness. Yuuka's too strong for that. There's no way._

And Reiji began to study chemistry, in hopes of in the process of finding cures and poisons for things, he could find out what Yuuka was sick with.

* * *

Kanato sat on a bench in the park, swinging his legs.

It was breezy- the moon was especially bright today. Although most of his brothers seemed to dislike the sometimes luminicense of the moon, Kanato developed a liking towards it. It was friendly; another thing that would keep him company.

Kanato, recently, has been quite emotional. He'd throw tantrums and bawl when things would go his way, and even if he just felt slightly lonely and all. He'd do it even if no one was around.

Kanato stared at the moon. It wasn't quite a full moon yet.

"But it's still pretty, right?" Kanato said cheerfully to his bear, who sat contently in his lap. He moved the bear's stuffed arms.

Kanato tilts his head. He realizes he still hasn't named the bear yet, despite owning it for a couple of years, now.

"I guess I should give you a name.. How rude of me to have been addressing you as an object for so long!" Kanato said again aloud.

He hugged the bear. "I guess I'll call you… Hmm… How about Yuu? Yuu is nice."

Kanato felt like the bear responded.

* * *

Laito waded through the crowd. He stood in the middle of a nightclub. He felt someone lean on his shoulder. It was a girl.

"Where are you going..?" She slurred. Laito assumed she was drunk, considering that her face was an unnatural shade of red and her breath gave off the scent of it.

Laito sighs, pushing her off. After a while, the club became unfun because intoxicated people irritated Laito. He wanted to flirt and everything, but there wasn't any enjoyment to doing it with drunk people.

The girl draped herself over him. "Hey~ don't be like that." The girl sleepily opened her eyes.

Laito froze. The club's lights made her brown eyes appear a reddish pink. He shoved her off and hurried out. He felt a burning need for fresh air.

* * *

"That'll be 2,576 yen." The cashier tells Shuu. Shuu counts the money and hands it to them.

Shuu watched the cashier as he counted the yen at an efficient and quick speed. It made Shuu wonder how long they've been working here. His eyes wandered to the cashier's name tag.

 _Shin._

"Hah! I'm surprised you did that."

Shuu looked up in surprise and confusion. "What?"

The guy blinks, and looks embarrassed. "Oh, it's nothing. Just, you glancing at my nametag reminded me of this customer I used to have." He laughs sheepishly.

Shuu raises an eyebrow as the guy hands him the paper bag containing his items. "You remember customers?"

"Certain ones. Well- that did something memorable. Not anything serious, I mean.. Just something small that I happened to notice, that's all.."

Shuu realized he was holding up the line. He gave the cashier a polite nod and walked off.

* * *

Shuu mumbled things under his breath as he strolled along the sidewalk. He held a paper bag of groceries in his arms, hugged tightly to his chest. He glanced back at the grocery store, which he was leaving, and continued to walk.

" _Might be a bad time to start thinking about Mom."_ His thoughts murmured. But it was the truth, nonetheless. To him, a lot of things reminded him of his mother. He hasn't bought new earbuds. The violin that he occasionally played just to pass time was too easy of a memory.

" _And she used to shop here at this grocery store."_

This reminded him curtly of his conversation with Cashier Shin.

He wondered if Yuuka was a memorable customer?

As he kept walking, he passed by a toy store, which caught his eye in his peripheral vision.

The store was well-lit, despite the only light in the sky being the moon.

It was significantly near the grocery store. Shuu couldn't help but feel curious. Yuuka used to mention visiting a toy store to buy his brothers things.

" _It wouldn't hurt to just check it out. Maybe I can ask.._ _Nobody would care if I was late home or whatever."_

Shuu wandered into the shop. The person behind the counter immediately noticed him, looking up. It was a boy about his age, with fairly long white hair and sharp gold eyes.

" _Wait, didn't I just see those eyes looking at me? At the grocery store? The cashier there…"_

"Are you looking for something?"

This interrupted Shuu's thoughts.

"Oh- Not really. Just kind of exploring."

The male shifts on his stool. "You don't look like that kind of person."

Shuu ignored his comment.

"Do you sell violins here?"

"We used to. But we stopped eventually, since the only time one was bought was years ago."

Shuu paused. He hesitated.

"Do you remember what the buyer looked like?"

The guy looks at him oddly. "I was a kid. But it was a lady. She was kind of young, though. My mom apparently liked her. I only saw her for a few minutes, and I don't really analyze every customer." He explains, slightly sarcastic.

"Your mom?"

"Yeah. She would take care of the store until I took over."

Shuu stared ahead. "Kind of a weird question but.. are you related to a cashier at the grocery nearby?"

"The one that's a few stores away?"

"..Yeah."

The guy's mood darkened. "Could you not ask things like that?"

Shuu shrugs. "It was a simple question, but judging by your reaction, I'm guessing you two have some history."

"My mom and his dad have history."

Shuu grew tired of standing, and instead leaned slightly against a wall. "You mind telling me?"

"Don't you have somewhere to be? It's late as hell. Why go around asking employees their life story?"

Shuu stares at his hand. "Believe me, I've got all the time in the world. In fact, asking employees their life stories is beneficial to me because of a certain goal I've set for myself." He explains.

"What goal? Are you planning to be some annoying news reporter?"

Shuu rolled his eyes. "I'm just gathering clues for something- now you're being nosy."

The guy looked defeated. He mumbled something under his breath before speaking again. "Okay, first, random kid who wants to know my history, my name's Carla."

"Carla and Shin, eh?"

"Shut the hell up."

Shuu couldn't believe how productive he was being.

Carla sat back in his chair. "Anyway, I guess that cashier's my biological brother, and his dad is my biological dad."

"Try not to bring biological parents up too much. I wouldn't know anything about that." Shuu says.

Carla looks at him. "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, I have no idea who my biological parents are. I only had a mom- the lady who you recall buying a violin here."

Carla pauses. "You're joking."

"I'm not."

"Wait, you said you _had_ a mom?"

"Yeah, she died."

"Oh-"

Shuu shook his head. "Just keep going with your story."

Carla stares at him, but sighs as he continues. "My parents didn't get along, but my mom refused to leave him." Carla squints. "But, I guess something happened…? Maybe when I was younger. All I know is they don't talk to each other anymore and they're divorced."

"You're not certain?"

"That part of my memory's really foggy."

Shuu felt like something clicked in his mind. Why did it appear to make sense?

"Kind of odd how the stories fit together."

"Wait, what? No they don't, I just told you an entirely separate story-"

Shuu tucked his earbuds back into his ears. "Anyway, I have all the information I need. I better go."

Carla watched as Shuu exited the store, wondering what drugs he was on.

* * *

Shuu wondered if he should go home, but the itching in his throat obviously said something else.

" _I really can't get used to this."_ He thinks bitterly.

As Shuu grew more distant from his brothers, he grew obsessed with the thought of understand his circumstance. He started to wonder things like who his father was. And although he could express these thoughts to Reiji, Shuu really didn't want to. So he bottled it all up and decided to find out on his own.

It occurred to Shuu that Yuuka was an enigma to her own children. The conversation he had with Yuma during his childhood would occasionally fuel his ideas.

Why Yuuka was significantly young to even appear to be a mother, let alone seemingly have given birth to six and housing ten. It was nearly impossible. And since his brothers and him were only one year apart from each other, it didn't provide very easy information. Shuu assumes that when he was three, he should have witnessed Subaru's birth and remembered it. Either he didn't remember or.. it never happened so that Shuu would be present to witness it.

That was strange.

And even if Yuuka gave birth to all of them, who was their father? Yes, Shuu even wondered if Yuuka was a prostitute of some sort. But it just seemed unlikely.

And when he turned sixteen, the story turned bizarre.

Shuu became aware of it when water or even other drinks would refuse to quench some sort of thirst. And when Ayato returned home one day having cut his arm and was bleeding, Shuu knew exactly was it was.

Having been protected his entire life, Shuu never knew about some of the creatures that roamed the earth along with humans. But having heard and studied it briefly in a semester, Shuu knew that he lived amongst demons and purebloods.

What frightened him the most was that he knew he was a pureblood vampire, and Yuuka was not one at all.

* * *

The phone rang for what Reiji recalled the hundredth time. He was more than just a little irritated. Most calls were from services of some sort, whether they were for Yuuka or for the school or whatever. And the raging fire in his throat didn't make it any better.

After talking with Ayato and Shuu, Shuu had hurried off somewhere and seemingly forgotten that he had started some sort of conversation/explanation for him.

Reiji sighed angrily as he pushed up his glasses. He's drank so much tea and water, but nothing would even ease the sore throat. He wondered if he should schedule an appointment with the doctor.

The phone rang again. Reiji really wanted to throw it, but he told himself to calm down and check the address _again._

Reiji expected another random number with a business label, as always. It was, but it wasn't another funeral service. It was what appeared to be a blacksmith store.

Why would a blacksmith store be calling their household?

Reiji picked up. "Hello?"

"Your voice is strange. I suppose it's because you're younger than before."

Reiji gripped the phone hard. "Pardon? Who is this?"

"My name's Ami. I used to be your mom's boss. Oops, I call her your mom. When she's not."

Reiji blinks. "My mom's- Yuuka's boss? Yuuka worked in a blacksmith shop?"

"Yeah, she did. She was pretty skilled at it too. She was like a completely different person."

"A completely different person? W-What do you know about Yuuka? Did she talk about things with you?"

"Yes, she did. But she was good at hiding secrets, if you couldn't tell. Hiding her old identity. I could really say she adopted an entire new personality, but it must be due to a change in her mindset. She was a tad bit brilliant."

Reiji was baffled. "I'm afraid I… don't understand."

"That's fine. We're all on the same side here. I'm not a villain to you or your.. er- mom. I want to help you. And maybe you can help me."

Reiji was unsure whether or not he should believe this woman. But it sounded like she had such a lead.

"Why do you need my help?"

"Because Yu- Yuuka's in a bit of a predicament, currently. I suppose you wish to save her."

Reiji chokes. "What?! What do you mean?! She's not dead?!"

"Not in a way, no. Ah, I rather not explain this all over a telephone. Would you care to visit my shop? With all your brothers. I'd love to meet you all at this age."

"Of course… Just give me your address." Reiji grips his hands tightly.

"Obviously. Oh- and can we also start calling your mother Yui instead of Yuuka? It's really confusing me."

"What?"

"Yes. Your mother's true and full name is Yui Komori."


	10. Root B

" _Yui Komori?"_

" _That's right, though. Yuuka told us our last name was Sakamaki. So I just assumed…"_

Ami hung up, leaving Reiji in a bit of a trance.

" _Yuuka isn't dead. That's the best thing I could ever hear. I hope this woman is telling the truth. But there isn't really a reason for her to lie."_

The next evening, Reiji called a "dorm room meeting." Which was odd, since this was the first time such a thing was called.

The brothers were reluctant to attend, but the curiosity in the back of all their minds made them wonder why exactly the meeting was called.

"Probably just Reiji complaining to us about not doing chores around the house.." Ayato whines to Laito as the two coincidentally end up taking the same route back to the dorm.

"Maybeee… Doesn't he already complain to us about that on a daily basis?" Laito adds jokingly.

Ayato shrugs.

Despite the oddities, the two found themselves still relatively close, even if they didn't speak to each other half as much they used to.

It was a nice feeling.

* * *

Reiji was surprised to see that everyone had come.

The brothers sat in awkward silence. The ice was broken when Reiji began to speak.

"Things have been strange since we moved into the school."

This was an interesting start, compared to what the boys expected.

"That's obvious." Shuu adds.

"What do you mean?" Kanato asks softly.

Reiji smooths his jacket. "The other day, a strange woman arrived at the doorstep of our dorm. Ayato answered it. The woman was god forbidden rude, but she claimed something odd; she said she was Ayato's biological mother."

The brothers stirred, and Ayato sat back in the couch in irritation. "She literally arrived at the door and started talking crap to my face. Pretty stupid-"

Reiji cuts him off. "And yeah, it appears that she was that way. I'm not sure if she's Ayato's biological mother, but one thing's for sure is that Yuuka… Isn't actually our mother."

Silence.

"What..?" Subaru murmured.

"What do you mean?! Are you trying to provoke me?!" Kanato snapped.

"He's not."

The boys direct their attention to Shuu, who spoke up rather suddenly.

"Matter of fact, Reiji's right. There's proof that Yuuka's not our mother. Biologically." Shuu sighs.

The room was quiet, so Shuu decided to explain better.

"If you've done your proper studies-" Shuu's eyes flicker over to Ayato, "then you should know that we live amongst the supernatural; demons, angels, the First Bloods, clans.." He pauses. "And vampires. Which is what we are."

"We're… what?" Laito asked in bewilderment.

"Vampires. Ageless beings who stop growing at a certain age and don't require liquids or food besides blood." Reiji says slowly.

Shuu nods."Right. And apparently, bloodlust begins at age sixteen." Shuu watched Reiji in amusement as he connected the thoughts.

"My sore throat.. T-that's what it is?! It won't go away unless I…" Reiji looked helpless. Shuu honestly felt a little bad.

"Drink from a human. It doesn't really work when it's animals or.. whatever else possesses a constant flow of blood. But you don't have to drink directly from a human." Shuu describes.

Reiji looked profoundly disgusted. Shuu simply shrugged.

"We're vampires? Vampires are born through bloodline, right? Was Yuuka a vampire? Was our.. our.. f-.." Laito stammered.

Shuu shook his head. "Yuuka's not a vampire. She's purely a human."

"Then-"

"And we don't have a father, either."

Everyone looked at Shuu weirdly. "How is that possible?" Reiji asks bitterly, adjusting his glasses.

"Well, I'm not sure. All I know is Yuuka didn't give birth to any of us, and we are all not from the same mother. Reiji and I are from one mother. Ayato, Kanato, and Laito are triplets, and Subaru is from another mother." Shuu says. He sits down on the couch.

It was too much information to process.

Reiji coughed. "Well, I got a call from someone earlier.. she was Yuuka's boss. A blacksmith."

Subaru and Ayato involuntarily exchanged looks. "A blacksmith?"

"We never really knew where Mom worked." Laito points out, "Other than knowing she worked in town."

Reiji dismissed this. "Her name is Ami, and she claims that she knows more about Yuuka. One thing she brought up was Yuuka's real identity. We're going to meet up with this Ami at her shop tomorrow."

There was no doubt that nervousness hung throughout the dorm's air the rest of the day.

* * *

It was awkward, to say the least. A group of six sullen teenage boys leaving the school courtyard together for town. To Subaru, it was embarrassing. But to someone like Ayato.. he didn't really care.

Reiji had the address Ami gave him. She had given him some basic directions once they entered the town, so he knew they would be fine.

The boys had never gone the route through time Yuuka used to take. Even now, her warnings to never go there echoed.

"What could possibly hurt us now? We're old enough." Ayato prepped them.

"You never know.." Kanato murmurs.

"Ayato is right in a way. If anything happens, there's all six of us." Laito adds.

With that said, the boys couldn't help but feel a little safer, having each other's backs.

In a way, it was some sort of twisted bonding experience, wandering through a town of murder and kidnapping together, which the intention to protect each other.

When they entered the gates of the town, they began to understand.

People in ragged clothes lay on the edges of the street, covered in bruises and dirt, not daring to look up. The place was filthy overall.

Some people still strolled down the sidewalks, looking menacing or were protected by wealth and arrogance.

There was stains of blood and dust everywhere.

The brothers felt their pace quicken.

Finally, the boys arrived, facing the back of the blacksmith shop, where Ami had specifically instructed they enter there so they don't arise any suspicion.

" _Suspicion? From whom?" Reiji asks._

" _He's watching. He might see you if you come in from the front. All in all, entering where your mom used to enter is safer." Ami explained._

Unlike Yuuka, Reiji didn't have a key. He stepped forward and knocked slowly.

The door opened, and a woman appeared at the door.

The brothers' wouldn't have known, since they've never met her before, but since Yuuka stopped working there, the woman hasn't aged a day.

"You're all here! Come inside.."

They followed her into the shop.

Kanato drew in the colors of the place; the cozy temperature of the room, and the faint smell of wood and metal.

" _So this is.. where Mom used to work…"_ He thought.

The woman flattened her apron. "I'm Ami. I'm the one who called Reiji." She says, a sense of seriousness washing over, yet she smiled.

"We'd like to hear everything you know about Yuuka." Reiji states firmly.

Ami smiles. "Follow me for a moment." She says. Ami opens a door, leading them into another room with maps on the walls.

Ami exhales. "It's quite a long story. But you all must believe that whatever I am about to tell you is the truth. It's quite odd on it's own." She says.

The brothers nod. Reiji seemed to trust her, so the others felt a sense to trust her as well. Besides, there were no other leads.

"First thing's first, Yuuka is obviously not your biological mother, for any of you. Shuu and Reiji's mother was a woman named Beatrice. Ayato, Kanato, and Laito are the triplets from Cordelia." Ami looked at Ayato. "You met her, I'm guessing, the other day."

Ayato looked shocked. "That wrench was my mother?" He made a face.

Ami continued. "Anyway, although all of you have different mothers, you have one father. Your mothers competed for your father's hand- er, that means they wanted their eldest child to be the heir."

"The heir?" Kanato says softly.

Ami nods. "Right. Your father- Karlheinz was his name- is the Vampire King, the leader of vampires."

"So he was a cheating asshole who got with three wives at a time." Ayato muttered.

But the declaration that their actual father was the Vampire King was… unsettling.

"Karlheinz was a twisted man, and so were your biological mothers. Emotionally unstable, cruel, and that was how they treated you all. Each of your mothers emotionally scarred one of you to the point where you grew up broken and sadistic." Ami tells them.

Ami's smile became melancholic. "And this is the interesting part. Karlheinz's goal was to die, but there was no one strong enough to kill him. So he began a project; the Adam and Eve project, whereas one of you would be Adam. This happened when.. let's say.. around the time Shuu was nineteen."

Shuu was only seventeen, so it was weird to him that whatever Ami was talking about was supposed to be in the future.

"Anyway, Eves were special girls Karlheinz implemented. Supposedly, whether or not the Eve was compatible depended on your choices."

Ami shivers. "You all are evil people in those worlds." She says quietly.

"Other worlds? How many are there?" Reiji asks.

"I'm not sure. A lot, probably. Each of your routes are a world; and each one of you have around three. And it's not only you six.." Ami looked at the door. "Which, reminds me, they should be here by now."

The brothers were about to ask who when the sound of a knock resonated through the room. Ami got up to answer it.

"You're late." The brothers hear Ami say.

"Sorry. We saw these two and were confused." An all too familiar voice said. The Sakamakis rushed out and saw the Mukamis and whom Shuu recognized as Carla and Shin.

"You brought them here, too?" Reiji asked, unsure why it came out so bitter.

"Of course. They're involved majorly." Ami says.

"Long time no see." Yuma says, almost sarcastically.

"It's you guys!" Kou adds.

Ami beckons them inside. "Hurry up. I want to tell the story. We don't have all the time in the world."

* * *

After everyone settled back in the map room, Ami continues.

"The Mukamis and-" Ami looks at Carla and Shin, "we call them the Tsukinamis, have their own stories with the Eves."

"Wait, wait." Shuu interrupts. "Why do you know so much? Did Yuuka tell you these things at work? How did you-"

"The reason I have knowledge of you all is previously, in those routes/worlds, I was a rejected Eve." Ami says. "I died in all your routes. Before Yui came in the picture."

Silence.

"What?" A few of the boys said in unison.

"I died in all the Sakamaki routes, since all Eves meet them first. I technically never met the Mukamis and the Tsukinamis; I just know from my past years of research and my information from Yui." Ami explains.

"But, how did you die?" Kanato asks. Ami gave him a stern look.

"You all killed me, some way or another. Because you got bored of me. That's how you got rid of all Eves. Yui got your interest, so you didn't kill her." Ami sounded almost mad, but she took deep breaths. "I'm sorry. 'You all' didn't technically kill me; you haven't done anything wrong in this world."

The boys were silent.

"We were heartless sadists in other worlds, huh…" Ayato breathed.

Ami chuckles. "It's not your fault. It was your parents. That's where Yui comes in."

Ami looked lost in thought.

"Once a route would end, it would either be Yui dying or Yui successfully becoming Eve. But that's besides the point. The point is that the route would end no matter what. Yui was forced to travel between routes and face the trauma in each one. Eventually, she grew tired and furious, because each route was just sadist, sadist, sadist, and pain. She loved you all, but not as partners. She hated your mothers. She hated Karlheinz, who was behind this whole project. It was a never-ending curse." Ami sighs. "Yui started formulating a plan. She wanted one set of you to actually escape the clutches of the set route."

"So she became our mother.." Reiji says, understanding.

Ami nods. "Right. In one route, where she pleaded Karlheinz to put her in a world where she began at your births, she stole you from your mothers so you wouldn't experience what you did. As for the Mukamis, she found you before you were shot and given a 'second chance at life' by Karlheinz. And with all this happening, the timeline became twisted enough to change the Tsukinamis' lives, too."

"But you said.. Yui simply left this route.. so she isn't dead? Can we save her?" Subaru asks, feeling more and more in debt of Yuuka- no, this Yui person each minute.

"That's why I called you here." Ami says. "We're all in debt of Yui. We should make an effort to save her permanently."

Ami walks over to a map.

"To do that, nothing can be done in a route where Yui is dead or a route is restarted." Ami says.

"What does that mean? How can we do that?" Ayato questions.

"You have to replace a set of you in a normal route; where all of you are seventeen plus and are in the effects of the Adam and Eve project. But instead of going about the project, you have to prevent Yui from choosing one of you and starting it. You have to shut the project down entirely." Ami says.

"Sounds easy enough. We just have to get in a route, then." Reiji says simply.

Ami shakes her head.

"It's not easy. If you replace another set of you, you merge into one person." Ami states.

"Which means?" Ruki speaks suddenly.

Ami frowns grimly. "Which means, although you'll still have memories of this world and growing up with Yuuka, you have to undergo the effects of the memories you gained in those worlds. Which means the emotional scarring from your real parents."


	11. Merge

**Sorry about the delay. It's been tough lately. Also, the last chapter is next.**

The boys tried to understand, but it was difficult. By the severity of the situation, and the fact that Yuuka did technically go back in time just to save them, how _exactly bad_ was their pasts?

What kind of emotional scarring did Ami mean?

But Subaru couldn't find an ounce of hesitation in him. He realized the pounding in his chest and twists in the stomach was from being anxious rather than doubt.

He felt anxious. He wanted to save her _now._

And no, it wasn't repayment for all she's done for them, no. It wasn't close to being enough. Saving Yuuka was a duty to them. It was just doing what they're supposed to do. Nothing in the world would be enough to repay Yuuka for her kindness.

"How do we go into the routes?" Shuu says confidently. "We don't have a lot of time to waste."

Ami smiled and clapped. "I love your enthusiasm! You boys are sweet." Ami smiles.

"Wait! We're going to, right?!" Kou exclaimed.

"Yeah! Yuuka's our mom, too! We have every right to go!" Yuma chimed in.

"Of course! You, and the Tsukinamis go, but the route will steer you off track a little because you appear later in the story. I'll leave that to you." Ami explains.

Shin and Carla can't help but flinch at how Ami referred to them by their last name together. But they decided that they shouldn't focus on that now.

"Um, excuse me, but this.. Yuuka.. Yui person.. Have I met her before? I'm not sure what everyone is talking about." Shin confesses. "I'm sorry."

Ami readjusts her position on the stool. "Oh, right. Yui didn't take you in as children because your parents were First Bloods. But she did impact your lives greatly."

"What do you mean?" Carla asked.

"Yui messed up the timeline greatly by finding the Sakamakis and Mukamis and taking them in. She wanted to save you too, but it was nearly impossible, because your parents are much different as to the Sakamakis. But she made a plan on how the broken timeline would rip your parents apart, because that was the root of the problem." Ami shrugs. "Your mother became the owner of the toy shop, and your father created that grocery store."

"What would have happened if my parents didn't divorce?" Carla asks.

Ami shakes her head. "Bad things. I'm not sure of details, because I died in the routes long before you two came in, so that's all I know."

"Enough chatting! Can we please go save her now? How do we get in the route she's in?" Ayato asks impatiently.

Ami nods. "Good question. It's kind of complicated. To exit a route, and come to the selections, you have to die."

That was definitely the catch in all this.

"We have to _die?_ Isn't that a bit risky?" Subaru mentions nervously.

"It's not really a big deal. I do it all the time." Ami says. "You just appear in what looks like Limbo for a few moments, and a selection of routes appear. It's similar to a game."

Now, hearing someone _dies_ all the time and hearing it so casually is not exactly a reassuring thing to hear.

But sure enough, the boys complied.

"One last warning; you can't come back to this route." Ami says. It's pretty much closed off.

"We knew that. If the route didn't close, why wouldn't Yuuka come back?" Shuu says.

Ami was quiet.

* * *

It happened really quick. Ruki woke up; the only thing he could see for miles besides darkness was himself.

The deafening sound of white noise filled his ears.

" _Where am I?"_ He assumed he was in limbo. He remembered his purpose, but he could quote remember his death.

"The route system should activate soon.. I'll become one person with the route's current Ruki.." He murmured aloud to no one.

He could hear his own voice faintly, and it ceased the white noise a bit. Ruki wasn't one to just talk aloud, so even with no one around, he felt awkward to just do so.

" _I wonder.. How much pain the person I'm meshing with has underwent?"_

A light appeared. It made the darkness seem like a long and winding tunnel. Ruki stood there idly.

* * *

A raging headache entered Subaru's head. It pounded angrily; making him feel like he was going to vomit. His vision was blurry, and as he rushed to get up, he felt his forehead collide roughly with something solid.

Subaru internally groaned. This only made the aching worse.

He blinked a couple times, and his vision became a bit better.

Subaru realized he was in a cramped space by the seeps of light through small cracks. He placed his palms against the ceiling and pushed.

It swung open like a door, and Subaru sat up.

" _A coffin?"_

And then, the blood rush returned, causing him to wince. It felt like his brain and slamming against the edges of his skull.

And then, horrible thoughts began to spiral in the midst of it all.

Pictures of a maniacal woman filled his head. She had beautiful ivory hair and was dressed lavishly. But she would alternate between screaming and bawling and smiling and trying to choke herself and a silhouette of a child that Subaru couldn't see clearly.

And he felt the sensation of someone wrapping their hands tightly around his neck and pulling and squeezing until he was gasping for air.

His heart stretched, and he knew that unstable woman was his biological mother.

The stinging feeling of salty, cold ocean water.

For some reason, the feeling was all too familiar.

Even as he stood up, the feeling wouldn't go away. It resides in his head only.

Because mental pain cannot be honestly replicated in another person, it was replaced by a physical pain.

It was probably the only way to give Subaru at least an image of what he should have gone through.

Still, as ignorant as he felt, he wished it would go away soon.

Then again, why should he feel ignorant? This wasn't another person's pain. It was _supposedly_ his. Which gives him the right to want it to go away, right?

Subaru couldn't make a decision. And the horrendous headache didn't at all make it better.

He left his room, finally able to at least control the headache enough for him to walk and see correctly.

Subaru stepped into the hallway.

It was decorated lavishly, but was painted in dark and gloomy colors. But it was still lit with the correct amount of lamps.

Subaru strolled.

" _It looks so familiar. Where exactly am I?"_

Subaru reached the end of the hallway, and he saw a large staircase.

He wondered if his brothers also scattered around this place.

Subaru was about to head down the stairs when he saw a figure walking at the bottom.

It was a short girl with curly, light blonde hair. Flower hair clips held some of her hair back.

She looked timid and small.

" _She looks like.. Mom. Is that…?"_

The girl noticed Subaru staring at her, and she jumped.

"A-Ah, Subaru-kun!" She stood still, unsure what to do.

" _That is Mom. No- that's Yui."_

Subaru nods, as if it was a greeting.

And suddenly, he felt nervous. How did this world's Subaru act?

Subaru became aware of the slight scratching in his throat.

" _Just ignore it, just ignore it."_

He was physically sixteen in this universe, and according to what Shuu or Ami said, was the age where bloodlust began.

Subaru took note of how terrified Yui looked at the sight of him. It really made him wonder..

"Um, are you.. alright?" Subaru asks awkwardly.

This was weird, to put it simply. He was interacting with his mother's counterpart, who at the moment, was only a year older than him.

Yui blinked. "Eh…?"

Something inside Subaru made him almost yell at her irrationally for not answering his question immediately, but it didn't feel like Subaru mentally wanted to say that. It was someone else.

"You seem shaky." Subaru continues.

Yui was a little stunned.

Now, after the major change in the route of Yuuka, Yui barely remembered anything. Karlheinz had gone through the extra effort to wipe out her memories. All she knew was the Sakamaki brothers were cold and heartless and, nonetheless, not caring.

Of course, she dealt with this. The route began a month ago, so she had gone through the following events: a lot of forced blood-sucking, cruel treatment, etc.

Yui was terrified of Subaru. She knew that he was prone to becoming angry and hitting walls, though she considered him slightly less devious. Still, he was nothing more than a terror to her.

So.. what was wrong with him? She's never seen _any_ of the brothers asking if she was alright.

"I-I'm fine.. A-Are you feeling okay, Subaru-kun?" She asks slowly.

Subaru walked down the stairs, walking past Yui, and he noticed that she very visibly flinched, as if afraid that he would jump her or grab her forcefully.

And looked incredibly confused when he didn't.

"Erm, I'll see you later, then. If you're not feeling well, tell Reiji.." Subaru says.

Yui was shaking as Subaru left.

She felt confused.

* * *

Yui continued her walk, unsure if she should return to her room.

Her head felt heavy.

" _Maybe I am feeling a little sick. But still, Subaru-kun doesn't normally act like that.. But I shouldn't be.. complaining, right? Still, that's weird.."_

Yui wasn't paying attention to where she was walking, and she realized this a second too late when she collided harshly against something.

Or rather, someone.

Yui looked up in a flurry of panic, and her heart stopped when she saw a familiar bear lying on the floor near her.

She turned her head slowly, only to see the purplette sitting on the floor, dazed.

She bumped into _Kanato._

And worse, she knocked Teddy out of his hands.

Teddy was hanging loosely in Kanato's arms because he was holding a plate and fork, which explains why Kanato lost his grip so easily.

Yui opened her mouth, about to apologize, when Kanato screamed and dived forward, slapping her and trapping her beneath him.

"YOU. INSOLENT. PATHETIC. HUMAN." Kanato yelled, enraged.

Yui felt herself cry in pain. "I'm sorry-"

Kanato slapped her. "IF YOU'RE SORRY, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE."

His voice calmed down, but his eyes still burned in fury.

"Such filth deserves punishment."

Still holding her down, Kanato picked up the fork.

It gleamed in the corridor light.

Yui didn't dare scream.

"It was your intention to knock Teddy away from me, right?! You wanted him on the ground! You wanted to TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME." Kanato raised the fork high, prepared to impale Yui's palm.

Yui squeezed her eyes shut, and she couldn't help but scream at the top of her lungs.

..

But the pain never came.

Yui didn't want to even move. But it was silent for several moments.

Finally, she opened one eye.

Kanato still towered over her, yes.. but he looked dazed and.. confused.

"Huh?" Kanato murmured. He looked at the fork in his hand. Then he looked at Yui.

"Yui-san?" Kanato said, addressing her as normal, though he didn't intend to address her the same way as other world Kanato.

Yui felt the adrenaline run through her veins.

" _What.. What is going on..?"_

Kanato got off her, looking a little flustered.

"Oh, I dropped Yu-san." He said.

Yui stared at him, wide-eyed. "... Yu-san?"

Kanato looked at her and nodded. He picked up the bear. "Yeah, Yu-san, my bear."

He flashed her a curt but genuine smile, and hurried off.

Leaving Yui in utter disbelief.

Was she hallucinating? Was she going mad? Are the boys okay?

Kanato has never, ever referred to his teddy-bear as any name besides Teddy. Never has he been so nonchalant about her staring at him.

He was throwing a tantrum just a moment ago, and then..

Yui split into tears.

She was scared- so scared- and confused to her core.

* * *

The brothers all gathered in the kitchen, Reiji locking the door to make sure Yui wouldn't enter randomly.

"The plan is beginning." He says.

"This is weird.. I get these really stupid and insane thoughts." Ayato muttered. He had awoken next to the Iron Maiden, and when he went to investigate it, it scared the everliving shit out of him.

Laito stared at his hands. "I feel.. disgusting." Was all he said.

Reiji pushed up his glasses. "All I know is we all merged with our counterparts, or our other worlds. That's why you guys feel weird."

"I encountered Yui earlier." Subaru brought up suddenly. Kanato nodded.

"I did too.." He says quietly.

"Really? What was she like?" Shuu asks.

Subaru stills. "She was.. scared. Or sick, I don't know. All I know is she's really timid and pale.."

Reiji sighs and shakes his head. "She has every right to be. Stuff around this house gives me an idea of what.. exactly happens.."

Kanato hugs his bear tightly. "When I woke up, I was hovering her… you can imagine how surprised I was." He explains.

The brothers look at him. "Hovering her? What do you mean?"

Kanato shrugs. "I don't know. All I know is I was holding a fork while trapping her behind my arms and stuff.. Oh, and Yu-san was on the ground."

"So I'm assuming I saw her before you.." Subaru says.

"Did we wake up at different times?" Laito asks.

"Holy crap- that was her? Kanato, what were you doing?! I heard some girl scream at the top of her lungs!" Ayato remarks.

Kanato shifts. "I don't know.." He says, his eyes watery.

Reiji pats his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. She's fine, right?"

Kanato nods.

"So, what do we do? Our counterparts already were scaring her, but with our personalities suddenly changing, we'll only terrify her more." Subaru says. "I've never seen anyone looked at me with some terror and suspicion ever."

It was quiet.

"What would happen.." Shuu says slowly. "If we told her..?"

Reiji shakes his head. "That's too hard. From how she's acting, she doesn't remember her life as Yuuka at all. Whoever made these routes.. wiped her memory extra cleanly."

Ayato makes a fist. "So she's just a game piece? They can do things so easily to her like brainwash her? That's so stupid!"

Again, silence.

"We just have to convince her that we're different people. Not by telling her. Just treating her really genuinely. How we're supposed to be." Laito says.

"And be consistent maybe, so she won't think we're plotting something." Subaru adds.

Reiji smiles. "That'll be easy. That way, she won't have to decide a route."

The final chapter was beginning.


	12. Who We Really Are (Final Chapter)

Yui breathed hard, finally calming down. She sat on her bed, staring at the floor.

It occurred to her after only a few days with the brothers that they were anything but good people.

Yet.. She couldn't bring herself to hate them.

Yui asked herself why. They did horrible things to her.. They treated her like nothing but food.

Still, then, she couldn't hate them.

And she had grown accustomed to the harsh treatment. She began to wonder if she was slowly becoming masochistic.

Yui sighed.

And yet, after _all_ that, suddenly, their behavior today was strange?

" _Well, at least, Kanato and Subaru. Or am I just imagining it? Or should I not be complaining? Am I anemic again, so I'm hallucinating?"_

Yui wanted to lay down. " _Consult Reiji-kun? Shouldn't they be consulting him? If they're not feeling well.. And Reiji-kun would just scold me."_

Someone knocked on her door. The only person who would knock on her door was Reiji, because he deemed it polite. Otherwise- no one else did, and just barging in.

Yui got up to open the door. She creaked it open, expecting Reiji.

Instead, it was Ayato.

Yui couldn't be more shocked.

Ayato stood there for a moment.

"Um.." He finally says. "So are you.. Feeling better, Yui?"

Yui felt the blood rush to her head.

Ayato almost _never_ called her Yui.

Yui tilted her head. "Um.. Yes, I am."

The two stood in silence.

"Y-You're not thirsty or.. Anything?" Yui stammered.

Ayato looked at her. "What do you mean? I'm not thirsty.." And the realization hit him, and he couldn't stop his face from turning slightly pink. "Oh.. No, I'm not."

Yui suddenly felt a pulse of adrenaline. "Are you okay? Are you not feeling alright? What's the matter with you?" She didn't know why, but her voice rose. "Why are not calling me Pancake? Why are you acting like this?! Why are you being so _kind_ to me?!"

She split into tears, which she had been desperately trying to hold back. "I-It's not as if I don't appreciate it.. But I can't tell if you're being real or fake!" She sobbed.

Ayato didn't know what to do. The girl was crying in front of him, and he's never been in a situation like this.

He remembered when he or his brothers would get an injury and cry, Yuuka would.. Hug them.

He didn't know what else to do, so he just pulled Yui into him and hugged her tightly.

There was a moment of resistance because Yui thought he was going to expose her neck, but when she was pulled into the embrace, it took her a few seconds to register it, then another few to very cautiously relax.

Ayato took note of how small and fragile she was compared to him. But hugging her was.. Pleasant, to put it.

He wondered why her skin was so cold. Loss of blood?

Yui was still very still.

" _I'm being hugged.. by Ayato-kun?"_

Ayato pulled away, feeling awkward. "I don't really know how to answer that.." He says, avoiding eye contact.

Yui stared at him, her eyes still glassy. "..Eh..?" She murmured.

Ayato shrugged and smiled. "Don't worry about it, I guess." He laughs.

Yui steps back and Ayato turns and leaves, bewildered.

 _He's being nice..._

 _It's so strange…_

* * *

Yui didn't want to stay in her room forever. As she went throughout the day, she was eventually greeted by every one of the brothers.

All of them still had their personalities.. but they didn't jump her or drink her blood at all. All of them were irregularly distant, but a little sweet nonetheless.

Technically, all of them didn't seem comfortable talking to her, let alone even touching her.

Yui sat on the bench outside the mansion. It was the early hours of the morning, so she technically should be asleep.

She just.. couldn't.

The events bugged her too much.

By now, Yui couldn't really tell what made her feel worse: the brothers treating her harshly, or the brothers being distant, as if she didn't exist.

Yui stifled a cough.

Sure they were being nice.. but she didn't want to feel ignored.

She didn't have anyone left to speak to.

Yui heard a footstep, and her eyes snapped open. Had she fallen asleep outside?

"So.. you're.. Yui Komori..?"

Yui looked up, pink eyes meeting bluish grey.

Yui blinked. "Ruki-kun!" She blurts out, when covering her mouth.

It was dangerous for the Sakamakis to hear of the Mukamis, so Yui panicked when she shouted.

But Ruki was unfazed. "You look different." He says simply, looking like he was holding something back.

Yui tilts her head. "I do..? And.. you already know who I am.. right..?"

She expected him to sneer at her and call her Livestock again, and that her name wasn't worth remembering.

But he didn't.

Ruki took a step back. "I do." He says in response.

The two stood in silence.

Ruki gripped a fist.

He had to ask.

"Komori-san.. do you.." Ruki says slowly.

Yui didn't reply. She just looked at him curiously.

"Do you remember.. who _you_ are?" Ruki finishes, his face paling a little.

This question took Yui by surprise.

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asks.

Ruki stared at the ground. "Do you identify as Yui Komori only? No one else?" He says painfully.

Clearly, he was straining to even get his words out.

Yui was unsure what to answer. Was it a trick question? Did he want her to list out all the demeaning nicknames the boys used to call her?

No.

That couldn't be it.

Yui thought hard.

She didn't understand.

Her eyes were watery again.

"I'm sorry.. I don't understand.'' She choked.

Ruki inhaled. "I see."

Ruki bent down, so he was the height-level of Yui sitting down. He took her hands, and he smiles.

"I'm guessing they didn't tell you..?" Ruki mumbles.

Yui blushed slightly, but she answered boldly: "Tell me what? Who?"

Ruki looks at the mansion. "Them. The.. Sakamakis."

"Tell me what?"

Ruki sighs. "Ah, how bothersome. They've been avoiding you. What a bad way to go about it."

Yui grew a little impatient. He still wasn't telling her what.

"What? Why are they- how do you know this, Ruki-kun?"

Ruki shook his head. "It's a long story. A really long one." He says simply.

"But-"

Ruki stood up. "I can't explain it." He states. "But.." Ruki smiles again. "You're a good person. They're.. not avoiding you because of personal reasons.. well- that's the best I can put it."

Ruki was beginning to leave, but Yui has grown sick of all of the boys walking away before they could tell her everyone. She dash forward, grabbing his arm.

"Wait! Please tell me!" She begged. "Everyone.. Everyone refuses to give me a proper explanation.. I'm so confused! I don't have anyone to turn to.." Yui began to cry again.

Ruki was quiet as Yui hugged his arm and sobbed. He considers his options. Finally, he pats her head.

"I guess.. you do deserve the explanation. I don't want you to suffer not knowing.." Ruki says.

Yui blinks, and with her spare, she wipes away her tears. She looks at Ruki. "Really?" She says, her eyes shimmering from the tears and sudden excitement.

"But.. I'll bring you back to my brothers.. I have a feeling they'd like to see you again." Ruki explains.

Yui nods in agreement.

She assumed that by "seeing her again," Ruki meant since the last time they saw her, a few weeks ago.

Which was not what Ruki meant.

Yui didn't seem to want to let go of Ruki's hand as they returned to the Mukamis' home. Ruki glanced at her once in awhile.

He could see why now, as Ami explained, how all of her routes, he or the Sakamakis or his brothers would fall in love with her.

Which was a weird thought, since Yui was technically Yuuka, who was his mother for a few years.

" _Not really my mother.. more of a caretaker. Someone who.. loved me. I guess."_ He thought.

Ruki has always craved for someone to love him, whether it was platonic or not. Although he had the brotherly love with his brothers, he extremely missed Yuuka. And combining with the Ruki in this universe, not only did he learn of the past he was supposed to have, it made the desire much more stronger.

And even to the point of it being painful.

* * *

The two arrived at the Mukami mansion, which Yui had stayed in not too long ago, before the Sakamakis had a huge direct and indirect hatred for them, and burned the place.

Yui was surprised that the mansion was rebuilt already, despite it having been set fire to.

Yui couldn't help but cling to Ruki when his brothers came into sight; the memories of Yuma's harshness, Kou's sadistic mood swings, and Azusa's odd masochism coming back.

The three were sitting on the couch, and when they saw Ruki and Yui, they all stood up rapidly, each having their own way of looking surprised.

"You're.." Kou began.

"Yui." Yuma finished for him.

Azusa stood still, unsure what to say.

Really, it was Yui who had to adjust to all of their actually _normal_ behaviors, since she was so used to.. something else.

"She doesn't know about everything." Ruki says.

Yui realizes she has never come to the conclusion what that actually meant.

"She doesn't? Why? Where was she?" Yuma asks.

"The Sakamaki mansion, of course."

"Yu.. Do we.. call her.. Yui.. Or.. Yuuka..?" Azusa says.

"Yuuka?" Yui questions.

Kou places his hands on her hips. "We call her Yui, because that's this person. She's not the Yuuka we know, sort of." Kou tells Azusa, who nods.

Yui releases Ruki's arm.

Kou turns to Yui, and flashes a bright smile. "So we finally get to meet you! It's really strange.." He says brightly.

Yui didn't understand. "H-Haven't you all met me before? I stayed for around a week or so here.. because you kidnapped me.." Yui says, struggling to put it easily.

Everyone in the room kind of quiets.

"We didn't." Ruki reassures his brothers. " _They_ did."

Kou makes a face.

Yuma sighs. "We should just tell her already. She's not gonna get it. And if we don't, we're held accountable for all the stuff that _they_ did to her."

Yui was puzzled. "They? What do you mean..?"

Ruki looks away, then he takes a deep breath.

"It's not like we should run away from what _they_ did. They're who we are. We wouldn't have even existed.. that's who we were _supposed_ to be. So we have to take responsibility." He says. "Even if it's not what we wanted, or if we think it's right."

"That sucks." Kou says. "So we're naturally bad people.. ugh."

"We were.. no.. they.. they were.. born in a.. bad world.. They're.. not.. bad people.." Azusa smiles. He looks at Yui. "But.. even in a.. bad world.. there was at.. least.. one person.. who was born.. good… you.. so we.. have.. no excuse.."

Yui blinks.

She was sure she's expressed how confused she was already.

"Whatever. Enough about that. We need to tell her." Yuma grumbles.

Yet again, they're interrupted as rapid knocking was heard at the door. Before Ruki could even think of going to open it, it was kicked open, and the silhouettes of six people became clear.

"Oh- it was you guys who took her!"

Ayato stepped out of the blind spot.

A second voice was heard.

"You should've at least told us."

It was Shuu.

All of the Sakamakis were here.

"Didn't get the chance to." Ruki responds.

Yui glanced back and forth between the two groups,a little terrified. Why they weren't at eachother's throats was what confused her.

"I agree- a warning would've been nice." Reiji mutters, pushing up his glasses.

"You didn't bother telling her!" Kou whines. "So Ruki did what he had to do and take her here."

"We decided it was too difficult to explain to her. Why would she ever believe us?"

"You should've at least told her we're different people!"

"But we're not. We really aren't different people."

Kou folds his arms. "You know what I mean. You shouldn't have left her in the dust like that."

"Even if we told her.. she'd still.. she'd still be.." Subaru bit his lip. His eyes wavered over to Yui. "She'd still be afraid. She wouldn't forgive us. She'd still hate us-"

"I don't hate you!" Yui shouts.

The argument ceases at her sudden outburst.

Yui's eyes widen, when everyone directs their attention to her in surprise.

"I don't hate any of you.. even if this is all weird.. and I don't understand what's going on.. and if you all used to treat me badly.. I never hated any of you.." Yui says. She cursed the tears forming again, which had been impossible to hold back ever since this all started. "But.. are you all really different people? What had happened to the you.. before this all happened?"

Reiji pauses. "Who knows… We've merged with them.." He sighs. "I suppose they're within us. Who we were.. and who we supposedly are.. neither was who we were truly. So the only solution to solve that was mixing us."

Kanato walks up to Yui, who involuntarily shrank back. "That's really weird.. You're like a different person.. but I still get the comfortable feeling around you.." He tells her.

Yui blinks, and she can't help but smile through her tears. But who was she?

"Who am I? Besides myself.. Who are you all talking about that you're so familiar with?" Yui asks.

Laito adjusts his hat. ".. Her name was Yuuka. She's you, when you're older, I mean." He explains. Yui didn't think she's ever seen him without his perverted smirk. In fact, here, he looked very serious.

"Me?"

"Yuuka's a part of you. Of course, we understand that who Yuuka is isn't entirely you. You're.." Shuu pulls his earphones out of his ears. "You're you. Yui."

Yui frowns, but she finally laughs. "It's all too much to take in and understand, but you're all really sweet.."

The room had a very calm and pleasant aura, as everyone seemed to smile. Yui's laughter dies down to just a happy grin. "So this.. who you all.. really are."

Ayato chuckles, but the orange light from outside catches his attention.

"Dang, it's afternoon already." He says, turning.

Reiji nods. "Unfortunately, we can't be like this forever." He states.

Yui panics. "What?! What do you mean?! You mean.. this has to change?" She asks frantically. Yuma places his hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

"That's not really what he means. It will change, but not if we interfere." Yuma says.

"Interfere?" Yui echoes softly.

"We're going to stop who's behind this all. Who's caused this suffering for the longest time." Laito says.

"It's a loop-" Subaru explains. "The only reason we were able to merge into this world was because of rebelliance." He smiled boldly. "Now all that's left is to mess with the system in this world, too."

"Wait, who is behind all this? I still want to punch them!" Ayato explains.

Shuu folds his arms. "A terrible person." He mutters. "Our dad," He looks at the Mukamis. "and you're supposed 'savior' in this world."

Kou scoffs. "Yeah, right. Yui's our savior, not some person messing with our lives."

Shuu cracks a smile. "Exactly."

Ayato punches the air. "Then what are we standin' around for? Let's go find Shin and Carla- we need their help, and end all this!"

"We have limited time." Reiji says.

All the boys nod in agreement. Ruki turns and smiles at Yui, taking her hand, Kanato by her side. "And you're our king chess piece- the most important thing to protect."

And the eleven of them rush out of the mansion, planning on turning the group to thirteen, to end the twisted world they were cursed to live in.

...

To live the life they all dreamt of.

* * *

 _ **The End.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading.**_


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